


Please Ménage à Shiro Responsibly

by enjayas



Series: Please Drink Responsibly [7]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Insecurity, Jealousy, M/M, Shance feels, Threesome, horny gym scenes, it's tagged klance for a reason, klance, menage a shiro, relationship drama, relationship dynamics, sheith feels, shiro is a unicorn, too real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2018-12-25 08:59:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 88,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12032556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enjayas/pseuds/enjayas
Summary: Keith and Lance have been dating for nearly two years and everything is great! They live together, they have a chocolate lab called Red, a car called Blue, and are very much in love. Though, Keith has yet to say it back, something Lance takes harder than he admits. One thing they do share though is their tendency to ogle their attractive friend Shiro and a mild curiosity about if he’d be interested in having a little fun. After Shiro reveals something about his dating life to Keith, all bets are on!But hold on a minute, threesomes are complicated, especially when jealousy and insecurities rear their ugly heads. Adding a new person to the mix requires a lot of open and honest communication, which historically hasn't been Keith and Lance's forte. They’re ready to charge in head first and may not realize the strain they're putting on their relationship until it’s too late…





	1. An Arrangement

**Author's Note:**

> It starts on kind of a goofy, horny note, but this fic actually goes to some pretty serious and real places. Don't judge it by the first could paragraphs. *laughs nervously*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is about a year after the last fic. Red is all growed up!

“One more round, Keith.” Shiro’s voice was calm and steady but Keith was totally winded. His shoulders slumped forward involuntarily at the suggestion, droplets of sweat beading along his brow.

“I don’t know, Shiro. I’m already-” Keith voiced weakly, limbs shaking.

“You can do this, Keith. We prepped you.” Shiro stepped right behind him and reset Keith’s posture, straightening his back and squaring his hips. “Let’s go.” He slapped the outside of Keith’s thigh.

Keith heaved in exhaustion then braced himself. Stomach pulled tight, shoulders upright, jaw set, he was ready. Shiro had already worked him ragged, but he dug into his reserves, not wanting to disappoint.

“Nice and slow. Just remember to breathe,” Shiro’s low voice encouraged him from behind. Keith sucked in a nervous breath and sank his hips low, hissing as his body grew tense. His legs wobbled.

“Nnnnng- Fuck,” Keith grunted.

“Breathe. You’re doing great,” Shiro said, hands hovering at Keith’s sides at the ready but letting him stay in control. Keith reversed his momentum and brought himself back up to where he’d started. He gasped at the top.

“Lower this time,” Shiro instructed firmly, resting an encouraging hand on Keith’s side. Keith sucked air into his lungs before doing as he was told and sinking low again. He hissed through his teeth and strained to venture an inch lower. It proved to be his undoing. He tried to move his body back up, but it wasn’t responding. His legs were about to give out. “Nope, I can’t!” Keith cried.

“Keith! You’re so close!” Shiro said.

“ _Shiro!_ ”

Shiro’s arms were around him as soon as he screamed, keeping him from collapsing as his legs failed. 

“I’ve got you.” Shiro pulled Keith back to standing and helped him re-rack the weight on his back. Keith slumped forward, hands on his knees. 

“I fucking... hate... squats,” he gasped. 

Shiro chuckled, leaning his forearms against the racked barbell. “You almost had it. Next time for sure. Nice work though.” He smiled then ducked under the bar to lay a firm hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Let’s wrap up for today.”

Keith grunted in agreement, too spent to speak.

 

 

While Shiro and Keith were busy with their usual weekend fitness ritual, Lance and Allura were enjoying something more their speed: a shopping trip at the closest mall to Shiro’s gym. They mostly stuck to window shopping since they had Red in tow. They accosted a kiosk selling truly cringe-worthy, touristy accessories and weren’t shy about trying on multiple combinations of items. Lance donned a pair of movie star sunglasses and an oversized snapback and tried to look tough.

“What do you think?” He asked, shooting a finger gun at Allura. She laughed and put on a large, floppy hat that actually really suited her.

“Allura! Hold on a sec.” Lance pulled the sunglasses off his face and slid them onto Allura’s. “Oh yeah, this is gonna be a _look!_ ” He straightened them then stepped back to see if they worked as well as he suspected they would. 

“Well?” Allura asked, unsure. Lance grinned broadly.

“Check out that gal over there? She’s gotta be someone famous!” He whispered loudly behind his hand. Allura beamed and struck a starlet-esque pose just as Lance whipped out his camera. They snickered and continued snapping selfies until the annoyed kiosk attendee asked them if they needed help finding anything.

“I’ll take both of these!” Allura cried.

Lance waited with Red a short distance away while Allura paid for the hat and sunglasses. He subtly glanced into a storefront window at an item he’d had his eye on, wondering if Keith would actually appreciate it or if he was being too sentimental. Allura finished paying and wandered his way. He diverted his attention to his phone before Allura could notice what he was looking at.

“Shall we?” She suggested, absolutely rocking the new accessories and holding out her elbow so Lance could link arms with her. They made their way to the coffee shop across the street from Shiro’s gym to ‘wait for their warriors’ as Allura liked to say. They scored a rarely-vacant window seat and took the opportunity to gossip about one of their favorite topics: their boyfriends.

“Okay, so Keith’s thing is that- And he’ll never admit to this, so don’t tell him I told you,” Lance eyed Allura mischievously. She sat upright and grinned back at him in anticipation. “But in the moment, like, holy shit, he’s got the _filthiest_ mouth! It’s not so much what he says, but like, _the way_ he says it, ya know? And I just...” Lance pursed his lips and whistled low, shaking his head.

“Oh my, you really shouldn’t be telling me this!” Allura brought a hand to her mouth, watching Lance swoon, and giggled as if she hadn’t encouraged the conversation. 

“Seriously, I don't know where it comes from, but it gets me every time,” Lance marveled, staring dreamily out the window in the direction of the gym. 

“Gosh, you two are just... You’re just so in love,” Allura smiled warmly, leaning her chin in her hands.

“Yeah,” Lance grinned back. “Well, I know I am... Keith still hasn’t said it.” He frowned and sagged a little in his seat.

“Really?” Allura looked surprised and maybe a tad concerned. 

“I mean, maybe once? Kind of? But… not really. No.” Lance shrugged, clearly frustrated, and looked down into his coffee. Allura gazed at her friend sympathetically. 

“Oh Lance, Keith’s never been one for words, but I’m sure he does. Anyone that sees the way he looks at you knows it’s obvious. Maybe he shows it in other ways?” She encouraged. 

Lance sighed and glanced out the window, thinking about how Keith used to carry him home whenever he drank too much. He always woke up the next morning to a glass of water on his nightstand that he knew Keith had put there. It cured his hangovers like nothing else. Keith had even helped him track his drunk escapades on Lance’s silly quest to prove he never blacked out. Lance still couldn’t believe that Keith had put up with his nonsense back then and that even now, nearly two years later, Keith still wanted to be with him. Heck, Keith had been the one to suggest they move in together, and he’d been so supportive when Lance had told his family about their relationship. And then there were the sexy as fuck thigh highs Keith had worn for Lance’s birthday… A smile slowly crept over Lance’s face.

“Yeah, he really does.” He smiled at his friend across the table and sat up a little straighter. “Shiro though.” He changed the subject and eyed Allura knowingly. 

“Hmm? What about Shiro?” She asked. A mischievous quirk of her lips betrayed her innocent smile.

“I bet he’s pretty phenomenal in bed, huh? I mean, with that body...” Lance remarked with a twitch of his eyebrows over the cup raised to his lips.

“Oh, Lance, it’d be uncouth of me to divulge details.” Allura took a very lady-like sip from her cup with a coy smile. “But yes.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “He is every bit the sex god he looks.”

Lance sputtered into his coffee.

 

 

Keith sat on the floor in front of a fan with his elbows on his knees, squirting water into his mouth from his bottle between gasps. He’d taken off his drenched shirt and was enjoying the feel of cool air hitting his skin. Shiro had worked him hard that session. His trainer and friend brought over a couple rolled-up towels but wiped the sweat from his own chin using the collar of his tank top. Keith couldn’t stop himself from eying the strip of exposed skin that appeared at Shiro’s middle as his shirt pulled up.

“Something caught your eye, Keith?” Shiro grinned knowingly. Keith quickly averted his eyes and cleared his throat. _Busted._ Shiro lifted the bottom of his shirt to wipe off his face, exposing more of his chiseled six-pack. “Good workout, huh?” He held a towel out to Keith while wiping the back of his neck, keeping his abs on display. Keith shot him a look that said _‘Really?’_ Shiro knew what he was doing. There was no way he didn't know how hot he was.

“You’re a fucking tease, you know that?” Keith snatched the towel away but couldn't hide his grin.

Shiro dropped his shirt with a flustered laugh. “I try not to be.” 

Keith made a disapproving face. “You dance at a gay club… for gay men! That’s the _definition_ of being a tease! Especially if you’re straight!” He chastised and shot-gunned the water bottle to Shiro.

Shiro snatched the bottle out of the air with his good hand. “Good thing I’m not then,” he said flatly and dispensed a steady stream of water into his mouth.

“Wait, what?” Keith stared up at him from the floor. He couldn’t have heard that right. “You're not st- Really?” He cocked his head and watched Shiro dribble water down his chin then catch it with the back of his hand. Shiro looked at him and shook his head. 

“Oh… I guess I just figured since you're dating Allura...” Keith explained.

“You know when you ass-ume things, Keith.” Keith groaned at the pun. Shiro folded his arms - his thick, cut, apparently-not-straight arms - and chuckled. A tinge of pink rose to Keith’s cheeks. 

“Still, it’s not like you’re out there hooking up with guys or anything,” Keith said as he clambered to his feet, legs still unsteady from the squats.

“Oh, am I not?” Shiro said with a coy tilt of his head and the tiniest hint of a smirk. Keith blinked at him, suddenly questioning a lot of things he thought he knew about his friend and mentor. “Well, not too often.” Shiro backpedaled fast. “But sometimes. I guess I am a little bit of a tease,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. 

Keith blushed deep red. His brain rocketed into overdrive. Shiro hooked up with men. But only sometimes... Whatever, screw the qualifier. Shiro hooked up with _men??_ That was the news story! It was the biggest revelation since, well, since he found out Lance was bi. Okay, finding out Lance was not only bi but also into _him_ was still the single most earth-shattering moment of Keith's life, but this one registered pretty high up there too. His brain didn’t really know what to do with it.

“So you're saying you- But wait, Allura! Does she even- Uh- I don’t mean to- Um-” He was wading into very personal territory. They didn’t often talk about Shiro's relationship with Allura, and Keith was worried he was overstepping. Shiro was also letting him stumble over his words like an idiot and looking very amused by it. 

“Keith, it’s fine.” He finally laughed and put his friend out of his misery. “Yes, I’m with Allura, and yes, she knows. I love her dearly, however,” he paused to pick up Keith’s towel from the floor and looped it around the shorter man's neck. “We’re not entirely exclusive. I guess you could say we have an arrangement.” He chose his words carefully and gave the towel a firm tug downwards on the word ‘arrangement’. 

“An arrangement…” Keith repeated, eyes wide and unblinking. Shiro nodded. Keith was increasingly aware of how close Shiro was standing to him and that his hands were still holding the towel draped around his neck. He could feel the weight of it pulling down on his shoulders. They always stood this close, right? Keith wondered if the new information was messing with his perception of things.

“This arrangement… It lets you sleep with other men- ah, people?” Keith asked carefully.

“The first, primarily.” Shiro specified, moving so slightly closer that Keith thought he might be imagining it.

“Oh…” Keith swallowed, feeling suddenly even more light-headed and unstable on his feet. “That's... cool,” he stammered, not really sure what to say to that. He felt totally unprepared for the situation at hand.

Shiro smiled with understanding and let go of the towel. “Anything else for today?” He asked without stepping away.

Keith had a million questions but shook his head breathlessly. “No.”

“Good, because Lance and Allura are waiting.” Shiro smiled and slung the other towel over his shoulder. “Oh, and Keith.” Shiro’s eyes narrowed playfully. A resounding slap echoed through the empty gym, the sound of Shiro’s open palm against Keith’s ass. Keith yelped in surprise and spun around to gape at his coach. 

“Payback.” Shiro smirked before heading to the entrance.

“For what?” Keith yelled after regaining his voice.

“The Wormhole.”

Keith’s face twisted with confusion. It took him a moment to figure out what the hell Shiro was even talking about. “That was like two years ago!” He cried, rubbing the sting from his ass. “And I don’t even remember it!”

“I remember.” Shiro turned around and grinned.

Keith stared in awe. Who the hell was that guy and what had he done with Shiro? He ran a hand through his damp hair and took a moment to collect his thoughts while the last of the bite faded from his flesh. His eyes followed after Shiro. He’d caught a glimpse of a whole new side of his long-time friend that he was apparently _very_ good at hiding. An eye-opening and _dangerous_ new side.

 

 

Lance and Allura leaned against the hood of Lance’s car, Blue, outside the gym, working on their tans. Red panted at their feet. Lance had a coffee in-hand for Keith. Red leapt to her feet when the gym door clattered open.

“Here come our fit boys,” Allura said and took a sip her latte with a satisfied smirk on her face.

“They can be fit. We’re the pretty ones.” Lance elbowed her and grinned proudly. Allura’s newly purchased floppy hat and sunglasses shielded her face from the sun in a way that accented her features. She was stunning, but Lance was more than happy to peel his eyes away from Allura’s beauty to watch Keith and Shiro stagger skin glistening out of the gym, looking hot and messy enough to make his heart skip a beat. Keith was uncharacteristically shirtless, his red gym tank scrunched in his hand, and Shiro had on a low-cut muscle shirt that had Lance wondering how such attire was legal. Allura pushed down her sunglasses to get a better look. Her and Lance’s eyebrows twitched in near-sync.

“I take that back.” Lance whispered to his friend. “We are _not_ the pretty ones.” 

“Definitely not.” Allura whispered back in agreement. They grinned at each other as their boyfriends approached.

“Nice hat,” Shiro grinned at Allura. “Lance,” he nodded.

“Hey, Shiro. Keith, babe!” Lance held out his arms. “Whoa! You are sweaty!” He recoiled at first then hugged Keith anyways. Keith threw his arms around Lance’s neck with an exhausted wail and leaned more of his weight than usual on him. 

“Dang, Shiro, what did you do to him?” Lance joked.

“Nothing! He didn’t do anything!” Keith said quickly, sounding oddly flustered and only grew more so when he realized everyone was staring at him. “Ugh, I’m fine. I just need to eat,” he grumbled. He leaned down to pet Red who was licking his salty calves and wagging her tail excitedly. “Can we go please?” He said quietly to Lance, certain his legs were going to give out at any moment.

“I’d love to hang guys, but you know how he gets when he’s hangry,” Lance teased, pointing a thumb at Keith and eliciting a disgruntled huff from him. “I better get him home.”

Lance handed Keith the coffee and unlocked the car. Keith took the passenger seat and waited for his chatty boyfriend to wrap up his goodbyes, mind still reeling. Shiro and Allura had an arrangement. They slept with other people. He was familiar with the concept but didn’t realize it was a thing people - especially stable couples like Shiro and Allura - actually did. Or, maybe it was just something people didn’t talk about. He wondered offhand if he and Lance could have an agreement like that. One that would let him and Shiro… because he'd always kind of wondered… No. He quickly halted that train of thought. There was no way Lance would ever go for that. And he didn’t exactly want Lance sleeping around either. Keith’s face darkened. He'd witnessed enough of that before they'd gotten together. He gasped, suddenly jarred from his thoughts, when Red hopped into his lap, sloshing some coffee out of his cup, and joined him excitedly in the passenger seat, which wasn’t really big enough for both of them. 

“Good girl, Red! Get in there and cheer up our favorite emo kid!” Lance teased.

Keith flicked coffee off his fingers and wasn't amused. “She's getting fat, Lance,” he complained, feeling how the sides of their chocolate labrador had expanded. “You need to stop feeding her so much.”

“Hey! Don’t you body shame her!” Lance cried in offense. “Don't listen to him Red. You're beautiful,” he cooed, giving the tubby pup a reassuring pat.

“Some cardio would do both you good,” Keith muttered while strapping himself in. 

Lance’s shoulder sagged slightly at the remark. He looked through his windshield at Shiro’s muscular build and mentally put it next to his own comparatively thin frame. _I could look like that if I wanted to_ , Lance told himself, drawing his eyes up Shiro's solid thighs to an ass you could probably bounce a quarter off. He took a moment to admire his broad back, his ripped arms that had likely destroyed many unfortunate t-shirts, the sheer amount of definition in his sloping shoulders, and the cleft of his chest that was just _begging_ to be motorboated. Lance’s breath labored up the sides of his trachea. Shiro was a man of stature all right. And a sex god, according to Allura. Lance was experiencing an odd mix of envy and desire when Shiro turned to wave them off. Lance promptly dropped his keys, realizing his eyes had been lingering. He waved back then quickly turned his attention to recovering his keys and getting them in the ignition as fast as possible.

Keith watched him scramble with one eyebrow raised. “I saw that,” he said with a hint of amusement once the car started.

“Saw what, babe?” Lance feigned innocence.

“You staring at Shiro’s ass.” Keith’s lip twitched upwards.

“Keith, puh-lease.” Lance waved his hand like he was being ridiculous then set it on the passenger seat. “You're all the booty I'll ever need. Besides...” He twisted around and look over his shoulder before backing the car out. “I was staring at his chest.”

Keith snorted. 

“You could stare at him a lot more if you worked out with us too, you know.”

“Eh, I'm more of a yoga kind of guy,” Lance declined the invitation, turning the car out of the parking lot.

Keith peered at Lance while he drove.

“What?” Lance cried defensively.

“You're the guy in the back that stares at girls’ butts, aren't you?” Keith deadpanned.

“I prefer the word ‘appreciate’.” Lance put on a sly grin and flicked his eyebrows.

“Ugh, you gross hetero,” Keith groaned.

“Hey! I’m a gross bisexual! I look at the men too, I’ll have you know!” Keith rolled his eyes at Lance’s cheesy smirk but wore an affectionate smile. “And anyways, I’d be encroaching on your couple’s time with Shiro,” Lance snarked but there was some charge to it. He sometimes gave Keith shit for spending a bit too much time with his trainer. “Wouldn't wanna be the third wheel or anything.”

Keith bit his lip and looked at Lance very carefully, contemplating if he should say something that was rolling around the front of his mind, especially after the afternoon’s events.

“What if Shiro was _our_ third?” He went for it.

“What?” Lance’s head snapped to his boyfriend. Keith internally panicked. A honk from an adjacent car brought both their eyes back to the road as Lance nearly drifted lanes. He cursed under his breath and righted the car, then flashed his eyes between Keith and the road. “What did you say?”

“Ah- Nothing. Forget it.” Keith retracted.

“No, where the hell did that come from?” Lance pressed. He sounded caught off guard and vaguely irritated. Threatened, even.

“Relax Lance, it was a joke,” Keith played it off. “I don't even know if he'd want to.” 

They rode in tense silence. Keith hugged Red, feeling mildly embarrassed, while Lance’s brow creased contemplatively. He took one hand off the wheel to chew on his thumbnail then set it back. His fingers drummed anxiously against the steering wheel. Keith pressed his face into Red’s fur and supposed the suggestion probably seemed pretty out of the blue to Lance.

“Shiro and Allura...” Keith broke the silence in an attempt to explain. “They’re… open. Or, they have some sort of agreement, I guess. He mentioned it today.”

Lance made an affronted face. “Why would he bring that up? He wasn’t hitting on you, was he?” His tone shifted to accusatory.

“No! We were just… talking.” Keith recounted the interaction with Shiro and had to admit he was wondering the same thing himself. Lance looked miffed but let it go.

“So, what, they like, hook up with other people?”

“Sounds like it.”

Lance’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at the road ahead. His face rotated through a range of emotions as he processed the information. Finally his eyebrows rose in astonishment. “Holy shit…” He breathed, blinking wide. Keith wondered if he was reacting more to Shiro or Allura being potentially available. Or perhaps both of them.

“A third... Do uh- Do you think he’d be down for that?” Lance asked quietly with a faint flush in his cheeks. He glanced back to his boyfriend. “‘Cause I mean...” 

_Well that answers that question_ , Keith thought smugly.

“Keith? Hello?”

“Huh? Oh!” Keith blushed too and looked back at Lance, surprised by his intrigue. “You’d really wanna do that?”

“A threesome? Are you kidding? Look who you're talking to!” Lance grinned confidently, the phrase ‘sex god’ repeating in his mind.

Keith smiled lovingly back at his boyfriend, a spark of excitement in both their eyes. “I guess I could ask him…”

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's THE SETUP(TM)!
> 
> I can't believe it's taken me this long to write a GRATUITOUS GYM SCENE. Self-indulgent as fuck, I know, but hey, gotta write what you know~  
> Here's how to [spot a squat](https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/images/2014/your-ultimate-guide-to-spotting-graphic-3.jpg) in case that first part made no sense to you.
> 
> Also, I am _loving_ Lance and Allura's friendship! It came out way cuter than I expected.
> 
> Stuff I'd love feedback on: Was the first part too much? Did is actually have you worried? Did you catch/like the callbacks to PDR? How am I doing because oh god I am so nervous for this fic!!! ><'''
> 
> I hope you'll come back for future chapters of this story. I'm pretty excited for it!  
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Are we doing this?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The idea of a threesome has been planted in both their heads. Now Keith just has to ask Shiro if he's interested in joining them for some fun...
> 
> In this chapter: More horny gym scenes and klance smut! Oh and the beginnings of some angst because you know what I'm about!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few people uncomfortable with me tagging this as klance. All I can tell you is that it's tagged klance for a reason, and you're gonna have to trust me on that. This story focuses on _their_ relationship. It's klance with a side of Shiro.

  
 

Why, _why_ had he agreed to ask Shiro if he’d be down to play the third? How did you even ask that of somebody? Keith didn’t know where to begin. He’d skipped every workout so far that week to avoid having to broach the subject. Lance had threatened to talk to Shiro himself if Keith kept putting it off, but Keith felt it was best that he handle it. He and Shiro were closer and Lance would probably say something idiotic or borderline offensive. At the same time though, Keith was well aware that such delicate conversations were not his forte. He was hoping Shiro would bring up their chat from last time and give him an easy way to edge into the conversation. 

Keith entered Shiro’s gym for one of their regularly scheduled evening workouts, nerves buzzing and head heavy with dread but still with a goal in mind.

“Long time, no see,” Shiro grinned. “Hope you’re ready. We have some missed sessions to make up for.” 

Keith tried to speak but choked on his words.

“I’ll lift with you today, if that’s all right,” Shiro said. He was acting totally normal. Annoyingly so. It was so typical of Shiro to act as if _the awkward thing_ had never happened. He meant well, but it was often a double edged sword, and in this case, he wasn’t making matters any easier for Keith. After they'd finished warming up, however, Shiro did remark that Keith was much quieter than usual.

“Everything okay?” He asked.

“Uh- yeah.” Keith finally managed a few syllables. “Hey, um…”

“Yeah?” Shiro turned.

“Uh- N-Never mind.” Keith lost his nerve as soon as Shiro looked at him. “Let’s just get started.” He decided not to force the conversation and focus on getting through the workout first. If an opportunity presented itself, he’d take it. 

Shiro suggested they start with squats because _of course_ he did. Keith hated squats, but _‘Never skip leg day’_ was Shiro’s goddamn motto. Keith grumbled to himself that _‘Everyday is leg day’_ would have been more appropriate.

Their workout quickly proved to be a disaster. Keith could not focus. He was uncomfortably aware of Shiro standing right behind him as he set the barbell across his shoulders. His trainer’s voice rang low and commanding in his ear. He jolted when Shiro slapped his thigh and had to take a moment to steady himself, reminding himself that Shiro always slapped his thigh before he started a set. It was nothing new, but it had never sent his heart racing like it did that day.

“Keith! Come on, let’s go!” Shiro double tapped his thigh impatiently. Keith abruptly remembered what he was supposed to be doing and tried to focus on his reps, the question he was supposed to be asking burning in his mind. Shiro gently touched his body to correct his form and Keith nearly yelped in surprise. He struggled at a weight that should have been barely more than a warmup for him. 

“No biggie. It’s been a few days,” Shiro passed it off with an encouraging smile. 

Several sloppy sets later, Shiro frowned, perplexed at Keith’s poor performance. “Your form is all over the place today. Push your knees out!” Shiro reminded Keith in his coaching voice as he finished a particularly ugly rep.

 _I’d like to push your knees out…_ Keith thought. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach when he realized it could be a reality. All he had to do was open his damn mouth and see out if Shiro was interested in joining him and Lance. 

_Okay, after this set…_

Keith sucked in a breath and squatted low again. 

“Knees out, knees out, knees out,” Shiro repeated as Keith tried to stand back up. Keith’s brain malfunctioned. His body went weak for a split second, causing him to sink too low and get up stuck in a crouch at the bottom of his squat. 

“Drop it,” Shiro instructed, soundly mildly disappointed. Keith let the weight roll off his back and crash to the floor behind him. He stood up and bashfully looked at the barbell. It wasn’t a weight that should be giving him trouble. He could feel Shiro’s eyes searching him. “You lost tension in your hip flexors on that one.” His coach informed him and set about stripping the weight off the bar.

_For the love of god Shiro… Don’t mention hip flexors!_

Keith was dying and trying not to show it.

“We’ll have to do a better job stretching you out next time.”

_SHIRO!_

 

To Keith’s relief they moved on to the bench press next where there would be no more talk of hip flexors or how to position one’s legs. Keith took his turn spotting and stood just behind the barbell while Shiro took a seat on the end of the bench. He had to look away when Shiro laid back and splayed his legs to put one on either side of it. Keith slowly brought his eyes back and dragged them up Shiro’s torso as he set his body and double checked the placement of his prosthetic hand on the bar. When he was happy with his grip, Shiro looked up at him. 

“Ready?” He asked. Keith nodded in response. 

They’d spotted each other dozens times before. Why did it feel so compromising all of a sudden? Keith’s gaze was fixed on Shiro's dark gym shorts. His eyes traced the topography of Shiro’s groin, wondering how Lance would react to what laid beneath that fabric, if his cheeks would blush that cute shade of dark red, if his eyes would widen and his mouth would fall slightly agape in disbelief. He loved seeing Lance flustered and teetering on the edge of being out of his depth like that. Keith watched Shiro’s upper body and hips tense as he pulled the weight off the rack. Shiro arched his back and dropped the bar to his chest then pushed it back up with relative ease. The muscles in his chest and shoulders rippled as he moved the bar. Keith smirked, thinking that Lance really ought to join them for a workout sometime. He caught Shiro's eye and quickly cleared his throat, trying to bring his focus back to spotting and _only_ spotting.

Later sets and reps proved more difficult for both of them. Shiro grunted and his face contorted on the final reps of a heavier set. It sent Keith’s mind racing, imaging other ways he and Lance could make Shiro’s face twist like that. He wanted to watch Lance get Shiro off. Or see Shiro get Lance off. Or have Shiro get _him_ off. Keith’s breath quickened and his tongue felt thick in his mouth. He barely noticed when the barbell started sinking.

“Keith, a little help?” Shiro strained. Keith gasped out of his thoughts and helped Shiro get the weight back onto the rack. “You all right? You’re very distracted today,” Shiro remarked once his last set was over.

“I’m fine,” Keith insisted. It was obvious Shiro knew something was up and was politely fishing for an explanation, but the hell if Keith was going to bring up what was consuming his mind. He'd already stuck a deal with himself to finish the workout before saying anything to Shiro.

His trainer let it go and suggested a friendly race on the rowers to get their heart rates up. It was a bit of an unfair challenge. Shiro's longer legs gave him an easy advantage, but Keith agreed to it anyways and was putting up a good fight. Shiro passed 400 meters with Keith only twenty or so behind him. 

“Pace yourself, Keith,” Shiro warned. Keith eyed Shiro’s meter counter and pushed back harder with his legs, grunting through gritted teeth as he pulled the handle back. Shiro picked up his pace too. Keith’s competitive nature flared, allowing him to finally get out of his head. He found a rhythm and stuck to it. They were both breathing heavily as they hit 1000 meters, with six hundred to go. They held their pace, Keith determined and not taking his eyes off his meter counter while Shiro worked like a machine next to him. Keith's quads were burning but his brain was finally one-hundred percent focused on the task at hand. In the final two hundred meter stretch, they both really turned up the heat and went into a full on sprint. Keith was actually enjoying the race and the return to normality. It felt like any other workout.

“I’m getting close, Keith,” Shiro panted. “You gonna finish with me?” 

Keith nearly fell off his rower. He knew it was only meant as a friendly challenge, but he couldn’t un-hear it. It was suddenly impossible to ignore their heavy breathing, their grunting... Everything sounded like sex. Coupled with the strain on his body, the salty taste of sweat in his mouth, and the way his heart was pounding in his chest… Keith’s pace faltered and he stopped rowing all-together. Shiro easily beat him then turned to look at him instead of celebrating his victory.

“Why did you stop? Did you hurt something?” He asked with concern.

“No… I just- I think I’m done for today.” Keith got up and grabbed his gym bag without further explanation. He needed to get out of there. Lance could take a stab at talking to Shiro. He wasn’t cut out for it.

“Keith, hey,” Shiro scrambled up from his rower and trotted after Keith. He grabbed one of Keith’s arms and quickly let go again once his friend stopped. Keith angled his body towards Shiro but felt too awkward to make eye contact. Shiro frowned apologetically and rubbed the back of his head. “I think I may have made you uncomfortable last time. I’m sorry…”

“Ah- No, you didn’t-” 

“You avoided coming here all week.” Shiro calmly pointed out. Keith looked down. His trainer wasn’t wrong about the avoidance, but he was dead wrong about the reasoning behind it. “Well, I just want you to know it won’t happen again,” Shiro assured him.

Keith nodded even though it was the opposite of the way he and Lance wanted things to go.

“See you Saturday?” Shiro smiled a little self-consciously.

“Yeah, I’ll be here,” Keith agreed and let his feet carry him towards the door. 

_Dammit, that was probably my chance…_ Keith cursed at himself. He sighed and berated himself for not going through with it. Lance was going to be disappointed. He stopped with one hand on the door.

“Hey, Shiro,” he blurted out with a sudden burst of confidence. He pushed back from the door and turned around to face his trainer. He cleared his throat and looked Shiro directly in the eye. “About that arrangement…”

Shiro stopped rummaging through his gym bag and looked at Keith. He squinted like he didn’t know what Keith was talking about, then realization warmed over his face.

Keith took a breath on his way back to Shiro to steady his nerves but kept his eyes glued on those of his trainer. “There’s something Lance and I were wondering…”

Shiro’s eyebrows lifted with surprise. He tilted his head with intrigue as Keith continued.

 

 

Lance was hanging out on the couch at home with Red, teaching her how to catch chips off her nose and not paying much attention to the reality TV he had playing in the background. He carefully stacked a tower of three misshapen crisps on Red’s nose. 

“Wait,” he instructed her, moving his hands back from her snout and carefully reaching for another chip. Red’s nose lifted slightly. “Ah- Red, wait…”

He went to position the fourth chip when his phone buzzed on the coffee table. He flinched at the distraction, and Red took that as the signal. She flipped her head back to launch the chips into the air. 

“No, not yet!” Lance cried, but it was too late. She caught one in mid-air then quickly snatched the other two off the floor. She chewed loudly then looked up at Lance expectantly for more. Lance smiled at her and tossed her final chip in his hand.

“Nope, that’s it, Red. No more.” He held out his hands to show her they were empty. She licked his salty fingers. Lance wiped his hands on his pants then reached for his phone.

Keith: What if Shiro came over this weekend

Lance: sure that's cool

Keith: I mean to... ya know...  
Keith: Be a third...

Lance: oh...  
Lance: wait really??

Keith: god it was so awkward to ask, but yeah he's down if you are…

Lance sat back on the couch and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn’t sure what to think. On one hand, the idea of bringing Shiro into their bedroom was hot as fuck. He'd been fantasizing over the guy and stealing sneaky glances at his chest since his Garrison days. The thought of that actually happening... He was already half-hard just thinking about it. On the other hand though, some primal instinct in him lurched at the thought of Shiro touching Keith. His boyfriend was also weirdly enthusiastic about it, and that was worrying. Lance knew if it ever came down to it, he could never compete with Shiro. And yet on a third hand, (he borrowed one of Keith’s to help with his reasoning), he was really curious if Shiro could live up to his reputation. Both of them were. It was something he and Keith could find out _together._ If he framed it that way it didn't sound so bad... Lance's face scrunched as he performed mental gymnastics. In the end, hormones and the temptation of a certified ‘sex god’ won out.

Lance: yeah okay

Lance’s stomach knotted up as he agreed.

Keith: You sure?  
Keith: I don’t want to make you do this…

Lance: please  
Lance: you know how much I wanna mash my face into his chest

Keith: Okay then

Lance: great

Keith: We're doing it

Lance: we are

Keith: Yeah

Lance: can’t wait

Keith: Me either

Lance: *thumbs up*

Lance tossed his phone aside and slouched on the couch with a slow sigh. He hugged a pillow to his chest, stomach twisting with apprehension.

“It’s going to be an interesting weekend, Red,” he told her. She wagged her tail almost sympathetically and then snuffled into his hand looking for more chips.

 

 

“Shiro says we should talk about it first,” Keith said as he deposited a wad of tissues in the trashcan, the aftermath of a particularly messy round of sex.

“I dunno what there is to talk about… We’re both on board, right?” Lance said watching Keith carefully, hoping he would show at least some sign of having reservations.

“Count me in.” Keith looked back at the man who had just knocked his socks off and flicked the light switch off with a satisfied smirk. The dim light from the lamp on their nightstand cast shadows around their room. Lance looked good in the low light, shirtless and propped up on his pillow, staring back at him. Keith crawled back into the bed and pulled him into a lazy kiss. They lay facing each other. Lance’s hand traced down Keith’s back, along his ribs at the side of his torso, and came to rest on the crown of his hip. Keith smiled at him, drowsy from the prior exertion, then settled into his pillow and began to drift. Lance sighed quietly and rolled onto his back, very much awake.

“Hey, you're not bored with our sex life right?” Lance asked softly, staring at the ceiling.

Keith snapped awake and stared at his boyfriend. “You’re kidding, right? After _that?_ ” Minutes earlier, Lance had done something with his tongue that had Keith writhing and wailing so loud he had to press his face into a pillow so their neighbors wouldn’t hear. He had no complaints. Their sex had been great recently. Suspiciously better than ever, actually.

“It's just…” Lance hesitated.

“Because of this thing with Shiro?” Keith prompted. His boyfriend’s lip twitched. Keith nodded to himself. That also explained what had inspired Lance's extra creativity in the bedroom that week. “Lance, no. That’s got nothing to do with- Look, we don't have to do this.” He gently turned Lance’s face towards his.

“No, no, no. I want to...” Lance insisted. Keith looked at him thoughtfully. “Just promise you won't like, leave me the second you see his dick or anything.” Lance smiled weakly through his concern.

Keith huffed out a laugh and propped his head up with his elbow. “You know I’ve already seen his dick, right?”

“WHAT?” Lance sat up fast and stared at Keith. “WHEN?” 

“In the locker room! Jesus, relax!”

Lance’s shoulders rounded forward. “Yeah, but like, in a new context-” He put his index fingers together in front of himself then dragged them apart. His eyebrows curved upwards with uncertainty, staring at the elongated space between his fingers.

“Lance,” Keith said firmly. He sat up and gently pulled Lance’s hands down then looked at him sincerely. “That would never happen. I love your dick and I love-” Keith caught himself and grinned at his boyfriend who was very clearly holding his breath and looking at him with the most hopeful face. “I _care_ about you.”

“Oh, come on!” Lance flopped back to horizontal against his pillow and flung his hands into the mattress in frustration. “Just say it already!”

“And give up my best bit? Nah.” Keith kissed his cheek with a giggle.

“At least you love some part of me,” Lance grumbled. “Maybe I can get a toe next?”

“ _Good night,_ Lance.” Keith turned off the light on the nightstand.

Miffed as he was, Lance turned onto his side and pulled Keith towards him. He lay awake for some time holding his sleeping boyfriend extra close that night.

 

 

Keith left the bedroom the next morning to find Lance and Red panting on the living room floor. He cocked his head at the unusual scene.

“Did you go running?” He asked, confused.

“Some cardio would do us good, right?” Lance lifted his head an inch off the floor and heaved through a smile.

Keith’s expression twisted sympathetically, realizing Lance had taken his offhand comment to heart, but he didn't say anything. It was probably good for them both to get a bit more exercise. It was certainly better for Red. He went into the bathroom and immediately growled at the mess of hair products and skin ointments that cluttered the sink. Lance was fastidious about all things in their apartment - except the bathroom. 

“God, Lance! Clean up your shit!” Keith barked, his morning crankiness showing.

“Sorry,” his boyfriend gasped from the living room.

“We really need a bigger place,” Keith muttered under his breath, shoving aside a spray canister, a tub of hair wax, and some other unidentifiable goop in search of his toothbrush.

A few minutes later, Lance burst into bathroom, shirtless and sweaty, as Keith finished brushing his teeth. “Am I sexy yet?” He posed, jokingly flexing his modestly muscled arms.

Keith chuckled with a mouthful of water then spat into the sink. “The sexiest.”

“Hah.” Lance guffawed. “You humor me, but just you wait, one day I’ll rival Shiro.” He checked himself out in the mirror.

“I mean it.” Keith wiped his mouth on a towel then leaned into him. “You _are_ the sexiest.” He ran his hands along Lance's arms. His surprised boyfriend blinked at him, unsure if he was serious or still carrying the joke. Keith kissed Lance’s neck, tasting the salty residue from his run, then found his lips. Lance’s back hit the bathroom wall, narrowly missing the towel rack, as Keith slipped a hand down his shorts. Lance gasped with surprise and stared at his boyfriend as Keith worked him to full length. It wasn’t the response he’d been expecting to his self-deprecating humor. He leaned his cheek against Keith’s temple, eyelids lazily drooping, and moaned softly into his hair. 

“Heh. Somebody’s been using my shampoo,” Lance grinned, recognizing the scent.

“You caught me,” Keith said mischievously then dropped to his knees. He nipped playfully at Lance’s low-stomach then pulled his boyfriend’s blue gym shorts down.

“Ah- Babe, I’m really sweaty right now,” Lance warned. Keith raised one eyebrow then ran the flat of his tongue from base to head without breaking eye contact. Lance felt Keith’s hot breath envelop his flesh as he went. He twitched with anticipation.

“Tastes good.” Keith looked up and licked his lips. “Like you’ve been working hard.” Lance grinned breathlessly, remembering Keith was never one to shy away from a challenge. Keith took Lance’s length halfway into his mouth and slowly dragged it out, eliciting a low moan. Keith's eyes were held shut with focus. Lance noticed how his dark lashes contrasted against his pale cheek. They fluttered open to look up at him as Keith circled his head with his tongue, making him gasp. How he loved those dark, grey eyes. He stroked the side of Keith’s face. He could never get enough of his boyfriend looking at him like that. As if he knew to keep Lance wanting more, Keith snapped his eyes shut and swallowed his length again. Lance hissed watching his cock disappear between Keith’s lips. There’d been a time when such a view was a wishful fantasy, and Lance made a mental note every time to never take it for granted. He felt his head hit the back of Keith’s throat and curled forward with a labored moan.

“Keith- ah-” Lance’s breath was shallow and raspy. He tangled his fingers in Keith’s hair, using it as leverage to push deeper into his mouth. He stared down in awe at the man that was undoing him, one steady glide of his lips at a time. Lance braced himself against the wall, breath shaking, heels peeling up off the floor, body aching to be dismantled, and let Keith’s fiercely bobbing head take control.

 

Keith walked out of the bathroom smirking, leaving Lance stunned but swelling with a little more confidence as their weekend plans with Shiro crept steadily closer.

  
 

  
 

  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do ya think, are they ready for this threesome? >_>
> 
>    
> Would appreciate feedback! Are the gym scenes okay? Do they make sense to people who don't know much about gyms? Btw having your knees drift inwards is a common form error when doing squats, so 'knees out' is a phrase trainers say often.
> 
> Thanks for reading <3
> 
> Next chapter: **We're doing this!**


	3. We're doing this!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They’re doing it! They’re gonna have a threesome with Shiro! Uh… Keith? Lance? You maybe wanna talk about this a bit more before you- No? You sure? Well… Okay then… 
> 
> *ANGST WARNING*

  


  


The weekend they’d been anxiously anticipating had finally arrived. Shiro was scheduled to pay them a visit that night. A very special type of visit. A small squall of irrational fears and dread still brewed low and ominous in Lance’s belly, but it was overpowered by a swell of excitement and intrigue in his chest and a persistent ache in his groin. He'd managed to convince himself that jumping into bed with his boyfriend _and_ the legendary, rumored sex god Takashi Shiro was an unassailably hot idea. Lance had gone shopping for ‘supplies’ in preparation and was feeling much better about what they were planning. He dumped the contents of an opaque plastic shopping bag onto the bed in front of himself and his partner in crime. Keith raised an eyebrow at the pile on the bed, the word ‘overkill’ coming to mind as he saw Lance had bought a _fifty_ pack of condoms, _six_ different types of lube ranging from colorful to flavored to a half gallon tub labeled ‘porn star quality’, and multiple boxes of tissues.

“All right!” Lance eagerly rubbed his hands together. “Fresh sheets, check. Condoms, check. Lube, check. Two hot guys and a third on the way?” He pulled his boyfriend in by the hips. “Check, check, and double check!” He peppered Keith’s face with kisses. 

“I doubt he’s on his way yet,” Keith pointed out with a smile. Shiro wasn’t coming over until later that night. “Is all this really necessary?” He glanced the pile again.

“I’m just making sure we’re prepared. Hell yeah, babe! We’re doing this!” Lance picked Keith up and spun him around.

“I guess we are…” Keith considered his excited boyfriend after being put back on his feet, surprised at how gung-ho he was about it. He seemed much less concerned than he was a couple days prior. It was a relief.

“You know we could do a test run,” Lance suggested, holding up a tiny packet of particularly unappealing cherry-flavored lube.

“Pass,” Keith said, holding up his palm with a grimace.

“Saving yourself for Shiro, I see how it is,” Lance joked, knocking him playfully with his hip.

“Stop,” Keith laughed and sprawled on the half of the bed that wasn’t covered in sex paraphernalia. “You weren’t even a little bit surprised he’s into men?” He asked, watching Lance gather the items into his arms.

“What? Dude dances at a gay bar, Keith! I’ve always read him as likely bi, but kinda not open about it, ya know?” Lance said, turning to stack the tissues and condoms on the nightstand.

“No, I don’t know.” Keith propped himself up and stared at Lance like he was some sort of savant. 

“Your gaydar sucks!” Lance laughed. “That or I’ve got good bi-eye.” Lance put on a cheeky sideways grin and pointed at one of his eyes before going back to fiddling with the box of condoms.

“Neither of those are things,” Keith sighed with frustration, though Lance wasn’t wrong. Keith’s eyes trailed up Lance’s slender hips and over his broad shoulders, remembering with a pang all the years he’d misread Lance’s sexuality too. “Also, he’s been dating Allura forever so…”

“That doesn’t mean he’s not bi,” Lance said firmly. “I’m with you but I still like girls.”

“I’m well aware of your heterosexual tendencies,” Keith said testily. He looked nervously at the multi-pack of condoms and other items Lance had bought. “Have you done this before?”

“A three way? Yeah… A long time ago, but it was… bad,” Lance cringed.

“Bad how?” Keith asked worriedly.

“It was just really awkward. Plus, I was young and dumb. Didn’t really know what I was doing,” Lance admitted with a shy chuckle.

“You know you’re still young and dumb, right?” Keith teased.

“At least now I know what I’m doing!” Lance said smugly.

Keith failed to hide his smirk. He couldn’t argue with that.

“Plus, two girls is… Well, it's just a lot.” Lance made an overwhelmed face. Keith’s eyes narrowed. Of course Lance had had a threesome with two girls.

“Heteros...” He muttered under his breath. Lance shot him a look but decided to let it go. 

“Like imagine if there were two of you. I'd be so spent!” Lance thought about it for a moment. His eyes grew wide with excitement. “Wait, no... Holy shit, that'd be amazing!” He bounded onto the bed, landing on his knees next to Keith and putting one hand on either side of his boyfriend's head. “Keith, you need to clone yourself ASAP!” 

“I don't think cloning works that way…” Keith said with false condescension, grinning as Lance swung a leg over his body to properly straddle him. He inhaled a little deeper, feeling Lance's weight settle against his hips and ran his hands up Lance’s slim thighs. He tugged playfully at the top of his pants, reconsidering his offer of a test run.

“Keith, this needs to happen. It’s for science!”

Keith smiled overly sweetly. “I'm glad there's only one of you,” he said with mock sincerity and booped him on the nose.

“Uh, rude?” Lance squawked. “You know-”

Keith leaned up to kiss him and not just to shut him up. He joked, but Lance was too special to ever duplicate.

 

 

Later that night, the anxious couple peeked through their blinds and watched a black SUV pull up outside their apartment.

“Don’t open them so much! You’re being too obvious!” Keith whispered loudly.

“Why are you whispering? He can’t hear us,” Lance laughed. The lights on the SUV dimmed. A door swung open and someone got out out of it. A white tuft of hair surrounded by jet black was just visible over the roof of the vehicle. 

“Oh god, here he comes! Quick, do I smell okay?” Lance raised an arm.

“I’m not smelling your pits!” Keith pushed him away.

“How’s my hair?”

“You look fine, Lance.”

“Wait, I want to change my underwear again.” Keith grabbed him by the arm before he could run back to the bedroom

“Would you stop? You’re overthinking this.” 

They peeked out the window again. Their eyes followed a muscle shirt and denim jean clad Shiro as he walked up the path to their apartment. Lance’s eyes traced the low swooping neckline of his tank.

“Oh my god, do you think I’ll get to touch his chest? Maybe he’ll even let me motor-”

“Shh, he’s here!” Keith threw a hand over Lance’s mouth as Shiro moved out of visible range of their window. They both froze and waited for the knock. Keith stopped Lance from racing to the door immediately after it sounded and silent silently counted to three together on his fingers, not wanting come off too eager. He released Lance, and they both hurried to the door.

“Be normal, Lance,” Keith whispered the reminder as Lance reached for the doorknob.

“Don’t worry, I’m always cool.”

“I said normal! Your cool is not normal!”

“Hey!”

Shiro smiled with amusement on the porch, able to hear their bickering through the door. He knocked again, making them both jump. 

Lance gripped the doorknob with one hand and took Keith’s hand in the other. “Okay, you ready for this?” He grinned at his boyfriend. Keith squeezed his hand and nodded.

“Let’s do it.”

Lance pulled open the door. They exchanged only slightly stilted greetings with Shiro as he stepped inside. Shiro paused after taking off his shoes, noticing the couple he’d come to see was staring at up him with wide, awe-filled eyes but self-conscious posture. Keith’s arms were folded across his body, clutching his elbows, and Lance was rubbing the back of his neck, uncharacteristically quiet. Shiro couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I take it you guys are nervous?” He asked.

“No...” “Of course not!” They answered at the same time. Shiro gave them a knowing look.

“Okay, maybe a little,” Keith admitted.

“But also excited!” Lance blurted out.

“Well, both are normal,” Shiro assured them with a laugh. 

“So... um,” Keith twiddled his fingers, not knowing where to go from there. There was an awkward silence lasted a few beats. Lance threw an arm around the other two men’s shoulders. 

“Alright boys, shall we take it to the bedroom and get this thing started?” His cocky, overly suave voice broke the silence. Keith put a hand over his face and groaned his boyfriend’s name under his breath.

Shiro laughed and patted Lance on the back. “How about we start with a beer first? Gives us a chance to talk.”

“The old wine ‘em and dine ‘em. Very classy, Shiro,” Lance said with a wink and a finger gun then zipped to the fridge to retrieve libations. Keith followed him under the pretense of helping. He crouched in front of the open fridge with Lance and prodded him in the shoulder.

“Pssst. Stop trying so hard!” He scolded in a loud whispered.

“I try too hard when I’m nervous!” Lance nearly squeaked through his whisper.

“Well then, stop being nervous!”

“I can’t just-”

“You guys need a minute?” Shiro called from the living room.

“Nope, we’re good!” Lance grabbed a six pack from the bottom shelf and returned to the living room. Keith followed with folded arms and a sour face.

“Sorry, Shiro. I’m a little nervous too,” Lance admitted, twisting the cap off two bottles and handing one to him.

“You’ll be all right, Lance,” Shiro said and gave Lance his standard shoulder squeeze. His hand trailed softly down Lance’s back after, which was _not_ the standard Shiro behavior Lance was used to. He nearly dropped his beer, and looked at Shiro, blushing with astonishment. The man smiled kindly back at him. Lance cleared his throat and took a swig, trying not to grin like an idiot.

They sat around the square table, beers in hand, and chatted casually for awhile before Shiro steered the conversation back to the reason they were all there.

“So you guys talked about this right? You’re both on board?”

Keith and Lance looked at each other then back at Shiro. “Yeah,” Keith said. Lance nodded in agreement.

“Any boundaries I should know about? Things you’re not comfortable with?” Shiro asked.

“Nope,” Keith answered again. “Well, none from me.” He turned to Lance.

“Lance?” Shiro looked at him too. Lance felt his chest grow tight under the pressure of both their gazes.

“Uh, I guess not,” he said.

“Okay, then,” Shiro nodded and tipped his bottle back to finish the rest of his beer then set it firmly down on the table. “Shall we?”

Lance led the charge into the bedroom, followed by Shiro, and Keith bringing up the rear. His confidence waned once they were all inside though. There was a weird tightness in his stomach that he chalked up to nerves. He jumped when Shiro’s hand landed on his shoulder. He saw he had one on Keith’s too.

“Now if at any point, either of you are uncomfortable with something, just say so, okay?” Shiro made sure to make eye contact with both of them when he said it. “And remember, one of my arms isn’t so great.” He added almost shyly, giving the hand on Lance’s shoulder a shake. Lance felt his face getting hot. Shiro was so cute.

Shiro’s hands trailed down both their backs, bringing the three of them closer together. Lance's excited eye caught Keith's, which was equally so. They were really doing it.

Lance watched Shiro pull Keith closer and start kissing his neck. Keith swooned at the touch, and he leaned into Shiro, planting one of his hands firmly into Shiro’s chest. Shiro’s mouth moved slowly upwards, heading towards Keith’s. A spark ignited in Lance’s insides. He jumped in and kissed Keith before Shiro could. Something hot and soft flitted along the side of his neck. 

“Whoa,” Lance gasped softly, pulling back from Keith’s lips, and realized it was Shiro’s tongue. 

“Ah-” He gasped as Shiro licked up the side of his neck. An arm that he could barely tell was prosthetic snaked around his waist as Shiro gently sucked at his skin. Lance hummed, closing his eyes, and tilted his head dizzily against Shiro’s. He inhaled deeply, taking in every sensation. Shiro smelled good. Lance’s eyes snapped open and looked worriedly at Keith. He’d just gotten caught up in having another man’s tongue at his neck, but Keith smiled back affectionately, nodding at him that it was okay. 

Shiro’s hand slipped under Lance’s shirt and started pulling up his side. Lance excitedly mouthed ‘ _Is this happening?_ ’ at his boyfriend as Shiro lifted the shirt over his head. It only make Keith grin more. Keith took off his own shirt then tugged at the bottom of Shiro’s.

“Hey, help me,” he said to Lance. Shiro lifted his arms partway to grant them access, and together, they dragged his thin tank up along his torso. They looked at each other and tried to stifle their giggles. Neither could believe what they were doing. Keith chased Shiro’s shirt with his hand, feeling the contours of his body. They took a moment to ogle Shiro’s physique after the shirt flew over his head and hit the floor. It wasn’t exactly a new sight to Keith, but he’d never let his eyes truly linger before. The smattering of scars that covered Shiro's sculpted flesh carried a tragic kind of beauty, a testament to Shiro's true strength that Keith had never really appreciated before.

It was also amusing as hell to watch Lance gawk at Shiro’s hard body. Lance looked but was too self-conscious to touch, no matter how much he wanted to. Keith didn’t suffer the same shyness. He stepped close to Shiro and traced his fingers over a jagged scar that graced Shiro's chest. He looked up at the man with sympathy for what he'd endured, then dragged his hand dragged down Shiro's torso, following the indentations of his muscles. He flexed as Keith’s fingers danced over his abs. 

“Holy shit, Shiro…” Lance gaped at Shiro's cut abdomen then glanced down and touched his own flat but not terribly defined stomach. His mouth felt dry. 

“You okay?” Keith asked, as Lance continued to hang back.

“Yeah, fine.” Lance shook it off and moved closer. 

Shiro took both of them by a hand and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling them onto the mattress with him, one on either side. He turned to Lance first and gently stroked the back of the nervous boy’s head. Lance swallowed with terror as Shiro, _the Takahashi Shiro_ , was leaning in to kiss him. Fifteen year-old Lance would have died. Nearly twenty-five year-old Lance wasn’t far off from it either.

“Is this okay?” Shiro asked, sensing some skittishness. Lance glanced at Keith for confirmation then nodded and closed his eyes. He gasped through his nose when he felt Shiro’s lips press against his. They weren’t as soft as Keith’s and the scratchy stubble around his mouth gave it some bite. Shiro’s tongue fluttered against his lips, but Lance, stymied by nerves, didn’t open his mouth too much for it. It was weird kissing someone that wasn’t Keith, but also, _holy shit,_ Takashi Shiro’s tongue was in his mouth! Lance touched his lips as Shiro pulled back, feeling a little breathless. He caught Keith grinning at him and blushed, realizing he must have looked pretty flustered.

Keith broke eye contact with Lance as Shiro turned to him next. He sat up straighter, his expression turning serious as he locked eyes with Shiro. Shiro cupped the side of his face. Lance watched Keith draw quick breaths through slightly parted lips.

“This okay?” Shiro said with a small laugh, brushing his thumb over Keith’s cheek. Lance twitched at how it almost sounded like a formality, like he already knew Keith wasn’t going to say no. Keith smiled and breathed a ‘yeah’, not taking his eyes off Shiro. They stared at each other a moment longer. Keith’s eyes went soft and darted to Shiro’s lips as the distance between their faces narrowed. Lance watched Keith’s eyes slowly fall shut as Shiro’s lips covered his, eclipsing most of his boyfriend’s face from view. Keith lifted a hand and gently brushed it along Shiro’s jawline. Lance tensed but sat with it. 

Their heads tilted more. Lance’s stomach lurched when he saw Shiro’s tongue slip into his boyfriend’s mouth. He took a slow breath, fighting his gut instinct to push Shiro away. He’d just made out with him too. It was only fair. Lance wasn’t sure which of them moved first, whether it was Shiro pushing Keith down or Keith pulling him, but suddenly they were falling back onto the bed together. His insides reeled when Shiro rolled on top of Keith, and Lance swore his heart stopped when Keith wrapped his arms around him too. He scrambled off the bed and stood watching them not remembering how to breathe. 

Keith’s jaw dropped open with a breathy moan, giving Shiro full access to his mouth.

“Keith…” Lance choked out his boyfriend’s name, his volume muted by the panic constricting his chest.

Keith's hands were at Shiro’s back, pulling him closer, deepening their kiss. One of his legs curled along Shiro’s side and Shiro ran a hand up the back of it, squeezing his thigh.

“ _Keith..._ ”

Shiro hips rolled forward into Keith’s, eliciting a louder moan. Keith’s head rolled back against the mattress with a gasp.

“ _KEITH!_ ” Lance screamed.

Keith slitted his eyes open. 

“Lance?” It took a second for them to focus, but when they did he saw Lance’s panic-stricken face standing over them at the side of the bed.

“Stop. Shiro, stop!” Keith cried, pushing Shiro away as the man went for his neck.

“Wha- oh!” Shiro recoiled away from Keith immediately after following his line of sight.

Keith sat up quickly, eyes fixed on his boyfriend who was backing away from the bed shaking his head in horror. “Lance-”

“Psh. Don’t let me stop you.” Lance’s face shadowed with anger. “Keep going for all I care.” He snatched his shirt off the floor and made for the door.

“Lance, wait-” Keith sprang to his feet to follow as Lance stormed out of the room. He caught up to him in the living room and grabbed his boyfriend by the arm. “Hey-”

“This is bullshit, Keith!” Lance shouted and shrugged out of his grip. He spun around to face him. “Do you even want me here? Or was this all just a ploy so you could fuck Shiro?” He ripped his eyes from his boyfriend. “God, I feel so stupid right now!” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Keith blinked at him, both baffled and concerned by his reaction.

“Why were you kissing him?” Lance demanded.

“What? You kissed him too!”

“Not like that!”

“I was just going along with what we were doing!” Keith threw up his arms defensively.

“If you wanna make out with him, go ahead, but I don’t need to be here for it!” Lance was shaking with anger and adrenaline.

Keith rolled his eyes. “You’re overreacting. It was just a kiss.”

“That was _not_ just a kiss. And excuse me for not wanting to see _my boyfriend_ make out with someone else!”

“We were trying to have a threesome! What did you think was going to happen?” Keith tried his best not to shout.

Lance shook his head. “It makes so much sense now, why you were so excited to get him in here…” He huffed with derision. “It’s what you’ve always wanted.” 

“You were excited too! And it is not what I’ve always-” Keith sighed loudly without finishing his sentence and rubbed his forehead. He couldn’t believe they were having this argument again. He thought they’d moved past old crushes on Shiro being an issue. “Jesus Christ… For the last time, it’s not like that!"

Lance snorted like he didn’t believe him. “You could at least have the decency to dump me first,” Lance muttered, hugging himself with his folded arms.

“Don’t say shit like that!” Keith’s voice cracked. “Look, If you didn’t want me kissing him, then you should have said something,” he said as calmly as he could.

“I AM SAYING SOMETHING!” Lance hollered. He glared at Keith, chest heaving with angry breaths.

“I MEANT BEFORE!” Keith shouted back.

They were up in each other’s faces shouting at the top of their lungs in a scene eerily reminiscent of their early days at the Garrison when Shiro cautiously emerged from the bedroom. He glanced between them as they continued their back and forth and took a patient breath. 

“It’s just pretty suspicious, Keith. I know you have a crush on him and-”

“You have a crush on him too!”

“It’s not the same! I don’t want to date him!”

“I never said I-”

“Okay guys, time out,” Shiro said firmly, putting a hand between them. “I assumed you’d already talked this through but it looks like that hasn’t happened yet. If we’re gonna do this, you might want to consider discussing-”

“Cool your tits, Shiro! This doesn’t concern you!” Lance yelled, shoving Shiro’s arm away and getting up in his face.

“Lance!” Keith shouted angrily, pushing Lance back from Shiro. 

“Just a suggestion,” Shiro said calmly and held up his arms like he meant no offense.

“Well we don’t need your suggestions!” Lance screamed while Keith tugged on his arm to separate them. “I bet you were in on this too!”

“Lance, _stop_.” Keith finally managed to drag Lance away. “Okay, let’s go talk in here. Sorry, Shiro.” Keith said over his shoulder as he ushered Lance back into the bedroom.

“Why are you apologizing to him?” Shiro heard Lance shriek before the bedroom door slammed shut. He stared at the door they’d disappeared behind with concern. 

“Yikes…” He said under his breath and helped himself to another beer. He plopped down on the couch with a sigh, cracked open the beer, and pretended that he couldn’t hear their muffled arguing.

 

Alone in their bedroom, Lance ripped into Keith in a way he never had before. Keith wasn’t prepared for it and was pretty shaken by it.

“Okay... Can you just calm down? Please?” Keith’s voice shook with unease. He’d never seen Lance so furious.

“Fuck you, I will not calm down! And fuck him too!” Lance pointed angrily at Keith and then in the direction of the living room. “I’ve watched you two for years, okay? You think I’m blind, Keith? You think I don’t see what’s going on?” 

“There’s _nothing_ going on! You’re not making any sense!” Keith pulled at his hair in frustration.

“You wanted to fuck him. Right there.” He pointed at the bed to their side. “I saw you!”

Keith rolled his eyes. “He’s hot, who wouldn’t want to… Those are YOUR WORDS, LANCE!” He roared when he saw Lance puffing up indignantly.

Lance folded his arms. “I knew it was only a matter of time!” He glared at Keith with angry, hurt eyes.

“I’m with you, you moron!” Keith voice reached a high pitch. He flung his arms out, fingers grasping at empty air in exasperation.

“Nice, Keith. Real nice. Resorting to name calling.”

Keith growled low in his throat. Lance, it seemed, was not above pettiness in an argument, and Keith was fighting not to lose it. Given that Lance was usually the one talking him down, Keith was worried what would happen if they both lost their tempers at the same time, but it was getting harder by the second to keep his cool. Lance had certainly lost his. Keith begrudgingly took a breath to calm himself and lowered his voice.

“Okay, you’re right,” Keith tread carefully, knowing he was playing with fire. “There’s always been an attraction there.” Lance’s eyes flashed. “ _But nothing has ever happened!_ ” Yes, he’d always had a low-key crush on Shiro, but it wasn’t anything like they way he’d pined over Lance for years. How did Lance not see that? “I’m with you, you hear that? I’m. With. _You._ ” His voice broke with desperation as he pressed his index finger into Lance’s chest, eyes pleading for Lance to listen to him. 

For a second it looked like it worked. Some of the tension left Lance’s shoulders.

“I’m just in the way though. If I wasn’t here, you’d be with him, wouldn’t you?” He looked at Keith, forlorn, anger giving way to insecurity. 

Keith clenched one hand into a fist and pinched the bridge of his nose with his other. “Lance, you’re being ridiculous.” He failed to keep the irritated edge out of his voice.

“You can’t answer the question, can you?” Lance snorted a derisive laugh.

“Stop picking arguments!” Keith snarled, on his last nerve. 

“Then answer the fucking question, Keith!”

“Lance, STOP.” He felt anger rising inside him. He was going to lose it.

“Answer it!”

“LANCE!”

“ANSWER!”

Keith’s last nerve snapped. He finally saw red. “I DON’T KNOW OKAY! I DON’T KNOW BECAUSE I DON’T THINK LIKE THAT!” Keith roared, temper boiling over. “Sure, Lance. If we weren’t together, I’d probably fuck Shiro. Happy now? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR?” 

He regretted the outburst immediately. The fight visibly left Lance’s body. Lance staggered back a step unsteadily, and stopped, shoulders sagging, arms dangling lifelessly at his sides. His eyebrows crested upwards into a pained expression momentarily before his face fell slack. Emotionless, he fell silent, glazed eyes hovering over Keith as though he was looking at a distant memory.

“Wait- I- I didn’t mean-” Keith stammered, suddenly feeling unsteady on his feet.

Lance waved a hand to shut him up. He didn’t want to hear it. His every suspicion had just been confirmed. “Honestly Keith, I don’t care who you want to fuck.” Lance's volume was dramatically reduced, an eerie calmness restored to his voice. “But I do care who you love. And if that’s not me…”

“Hey-” Keith’s tone softened. He reached for his boyfriend’s wrist, but Lance pulled it away.

“It’s not like you’ve ever said it,” Lance huffed wryly, more to himself than to Keith. He stared despondently at the floor and gripped one elbow across his body. “You even go out of your way _not_ to say it. You don’t… You’ve never...” He drew a shaky breath as the realization washed over him. Keith didn’t love him. He was was never going to.

“That’s just a joke we have… Lance, you’ve gotta know I-” Keith choked up.

“It’s okay.” Lance looked at him with resigned, sad clarity. “Relationships don’t last forever.”

Keith’s breath caught in his throat. He froze as a terrifying chill passed through him. It was the last thing he expected to hear from the hopeless romantic he knew Lance to be. 

“Whoa, Lance. What are you saying?” Keith’s voice lowered too and not entirely by choice, shaken by the sudden turn their conversation had taken. His lungs weren’t working like they were a moment ago.

Lance shrugged like it was pointless. “If you’d be happier with someone else… with him…” He nodded towards the living room and paused to steady his voice. “I’d let you go.” His voice still wavered as he said it, fresh tears welling in his eyes. 

Panic raced through Keith. He was choking too hard to speak.

_Lance… no..._

Lance was steering them down a path with no return, and Keith was desperate to course correct but he couldn't think with the sudden surge of emotions shocking his system. Keith clenched his fists, panic giving way to indignant fury that burned like hell fires in his chest.

_Is he fucking serious?_

Lance could not be about to throw away everything they had.

Lance pinched his lips together and put a hand over his eyes, turning away for a moment to regain his composure. “I love you like crazy Keith, and I want you to be happy.” His voice strained as he fought not to cry. “If I’m not the person who can do that-”

“Ugh! Stop!” Keith turned away, gripping the sides of his head. “You’re being so fucking stupid right now!”

“If you wanna be with Shiro, then-”

“Shut up! I don’t want that!” Keith’s temper flared again.

“How can you say that when I just saw you guys-”

“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, YOU DUMB FUCK! I DON’T WANT TO BE WITH HIM BECAUSE I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU!” Keith exploded, fists clenched, nostrils flaring, limbs shaking, and eyes holding back angry tears. “And if you fucking dare dump me right now I swear to god-” The sentence ended abruptly with a defeated sob. Keith dropped onto the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He couldn’t believe what was happening. They were going to break up.

Several moments passed. Lance stared at Keith in stunned silence, watching his chest rise and fall with poorly stifled sobs. The stabbing ache in Keith’s chest only worsened when he looked up to see a hesitant but undeniably genuine smile had crept over Lance’s face.

 _How can he smile right now…_ Keith thought. He felt like he was dying.

“You finally said it…” Lance said, a little breathless, like he didn’t quite believe it. Keith looked at him confused until he realized what he’d done.

_I love you, you dumb fuck._

“Shit... NO!” Keith wailed and flopped backwards onto the mattress covering his face with his hands. Of all the moments he could have picked… 

“What, you gonna take it back?” Lance said, edging back into testy territory.

“No.” Keith got one more word in with an angry tone before it fell away entirely. “That just wasn’t the way I wanted to- ugh...” He groaned and curled into something that resembled the fetal position, beyond frustrated with himself. He’d been planning on finding the right moment to give Lance the ‘I love you’ he deserved, but instead he’d gone and said it without thinking. Worse, he’d _screamed_ it at him in the heat of an argument and followed it up with a juvenile insult.

But he’d meant it.

Keith slowly pulled himself up, slumping on the side of the bed, and looked up at Lance with a pained face. “I’m the worst,” he moaned.

“Yeah, you kinda are.” Lance snorted then kneeled on the floor in front of Keith. “Sometimes you’re kind of the best though,” he said gently, managing a small smile, and swept the hair out of Keith’s eyes. Keith let out a small sob as he did it. He carefully brought his eyes up to meet Lance’s.

“I do though, Lance. I do love you,” he uttered quietly. He wiped one eye and reached for one of Lance’s hands. It didn’t pull away this time. Keith carefully pulled Lance into a hug. “I love _you_ and I want to be with _you_.” He sniffed and squeezed his arms around him. Lance gently squeezed him back. “God, this really backfired.” Keith went limp and rested his forehead against Lance’s collar bone.

“It was a pretty spectacular disaster. Definitely my new worst threesome,” Lance laughed softly, twisting his fingers through the straggles of Keith’s mullet. 

Keith let out a wry laugh. “Ugh, we should probably go back out there,” he said with a wince.

“Oh god, he’s still here?” Lance cringed. “Do you think he heard all that?”

Keith grimaced knowing how thin their walls were. He pulled himself up and led Lance by the hand to the door.

“Keith...” Lance hung back just before Keith opened the door. “You really love me?” He asked, unsure.

Keith smiled softly and took Lance’s cheeks in his hands. “Yeah, Lance. I do.” He planted a slow, sincere kiss on his worried boyfriend’s lips. Lance was too dazed from their argument to respond more than momentarily blinking his eyes shut. “Come on.” Keith smiled encouragingly and interlaced their fingers.

 

They came out of the bedroom to find Shiro sitting cross-legged on their couch flipping through a magazine like he was in a waiting room. Keith cleared his throat and Lance rubbed the back of his head, both of them looking rather abashed, but Shiro politely smiled at them and acted like he hadn’t heard the majority of their exchange.

“Sorry… I lost my cool back there,” Lance muttered but couldn’t bring himself to hold eye contact with Shiro. “I guess if you guys wanna try again or whatever.”

Keith opened his mouth to shut down that idea but Shiro got there first. 

“How about we just hang out and watch a movie instead?” He smiled warmly. Lance looked more than relieved at the suggestion. He had to admit, Shiro was a good dude. Still, Lance deliberately sat in the middle on the couch, so Keith and Shiro wouldn’t be next to each other. 

“What are we watching?” Keith asked half-heartedly as he scrolled through Netflix.

“Maybe something a little lighter than your conspiracy documentaries,” Lance grumbled after seeing where Keith was navigating. They settled on a goofy comedy at Shiro’s suggestion. Lance clung to Keith protectively, still on edge, and kept a good buffer of space between himself and Shiro. But the couch was small and the movie lightened their moods as the night progressed. Gradually, the gap lessened. Shiro carefully set his arm along the back of the couch behind both of them. Lance shifted closer until his side brushed against Shiro. He still smelled good, which kind of annoyed him if he was being honest. Still, he carefully shifted to rest the back of his shoulder against Shiro’s warm and sturdy body. Lance pulled Keith against his chest. It was a shame the night hadn’t started that way. Being between the two of them like that would have been really nice had prior events not soured the evening.

Not long after the movie was done, Shiro got up to leave. “I’m sorry things got a little weird tonight.” He looked mostly at Lance while he said it. “We don’t have to, but if you want to try this again, promise me you’ll really talk about it first. Figure out your boundaries and what you’re comfortable with. Lance, if you don't want me kissing Keith, that's fine, but it should be clearly stated.” Lance looked at the floor, feeling a bit awkward. 

“You should also know that there might be moments where a threesome feels like a twosome, and that’s perfectly normal and okay, but it can, understandably, be a little unsettling. You’ve gotta be prepared to work through that. And finally.” He set a hand on each of their shoulders. “Never be afraid to speak up if you’re not okay with what’s happening.” He looked between their faces pointedly with a serious expression before breaking into a friendly grin. “Anyways, you guys know where to find me.” He gave their shoulders a firm squeeze and then left.

Lance collapsed onto the couch, kicking one leg over the back of it, with a long groan. “Well that was embarrassing. We even got one of his speeches.”

Keith made a pained noise in agreement. Shiro probably thought they were idiots.

An awkward silence fell between them, Lance sprawled on the couch while Keith stood, arms folded and leaning against the table. 

“Wanna talk about boundaries or whatever?” Keith asked, sounding about as enthusiastic about it as Lance felt.

Lance glanced at him for a brief moment before staring at the floor on the opposite side of the room to Keith. “Maybe another time.” His voice was tired.

Silence again. There was a distance between them that hadn’t been there before. Keith fretted, not knowing how to lessen it. 

“I’m gonna go to bed. You coming?” He asked, hoping Lance would follow.

“Nah, I’m gonna stay up a bit longer,” Lance replied, flipping through the Netflix menu. Keith hesitated and cast a worried look at Lance before nodding and heading to the bedroom. 

Alone on the couch, Lance struggled to find a comfortable position and nothing on Netflix held his interest. He kept saying he’d go to bed after the next episode, yet he stayed put, mind circling torturously. Keith had finally told him he loved him. He should have been ecstatic, elated. He should have been in their bed holding his boyfriend tightly. It was everything he’d ever wished for, but try as he might, he just couldn’t get the image of Shiro and Keith kissing out of his head. The way Keith's eyes had lazily hooded in anticipation of Shiro's lips. The way his mouth had opened without hesitation. How his body had arched into Shiro’s. The soft moan he’d given up. It wasn’t nothing. There was something more there, and it haunted him through every episode of garbage TV he attempted to watch. He tried to pay attention to the reality TV stars arguing on the screen, tried to invest in their drama, tried to let it take his mind off how one tilt of Shiro’s hips had Keith gasping and clawing at his back. Lance’s vision blurred. Keith had forgotten he was even there. He blinked and hot tears trickled down his cheeks. Shiro was easily twice the man he was. Why was Keith even with him? 

Red wandered over to him with a whine and slow wag of her tail.

“Hey, girl,” Lance whispered softly as he rubbed behind her ears. She licked the tears off one of his cheeks. “It’s okay... I’m okay... He loves me, right?” Lance assured her though his voice shook. He slumped forward to hug his dog and let himself cry into her coat. 

Lance finally switched off the TV and curled up on the couch with Red. For whatever reason, he just couldn’t bring himself to sleep next to Keith that night.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If your heart wasn't in your throat the entire time during that fight then I have not done my job! 
> 
> How did you feel about the way Keith finally told Lance he loves him? *evil grin*
> 
> Yell at me in the comments. Take a breath. Read some fluff. Come back in a week or two for the next chapter: **Make Up or Break Up**  
>   
>  **Art!!**  
> [I love you, you dumb fuck!](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/166204792604/sihaya-art-a-little-doodle-from-chapter-3-of) Oh, Keith... First piece of art for this story!!! Sihaya-art on Tumblr gave this to me at a con and IT'S MY FAVORITE LINE IN THIS FIC SO FAR AHHHH!!!  
>     
> (A few people have mentioned to me that Keith sometimes makes bi-phobic comments. I’m aware. It’s a plot point and will get dealt with later.)


	4. Make Up or Break Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Formerly _Please Shklance Responsibly_ , you are now reading _Please Ménage à Shiro Responsibly_! 
> 
> Saying Keith and Lance's first threesome didn't go as planned would be putting it nicely... It was an unmitigated disaster that has them further apart than ever. Now they're left struggling to pick up the pieces. Can their relationship make it out in one piece? Or has the damage been done...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just say, I _loved_ all the comments on the last chapter! Many of you had some _opinions_! It was amazing and super interesting to see everyone's perspective! Some people were annoyed with Lance for losing his cool, a couple people felt Shiro should have known to make them talk more first, and many of you were _extremely_ upset with Keith for a multitude of reasons, some rightfully so! 
> 
> My goal was to make you upset at the situation but not really know who to be mad at. No single person is to blame here; They all messed up. Keith didn't consider the impact it might have on his often-insecure boyfriend, (who he really needs to express his feelings to already!) Lance didn't speak up about being uncomfortable when he should have. And even Shiro mistakenly assumed they talked more than they did. _Communication, guys!!!_ (Surely you've noticed by now that in my Please X Responsibly titles, _they don't do X responsibly!_ ) 
> 
> I'm SUPER looking forward to what you all think after this chapter!

 

 

Keith woke up the morning after their disastrous attempt at a threesome. The awkwardness was still fresh enough to make him cringe in their bed. He rolled over like he did every morning, arm outstretched and ready to wrap around Lance, seeking comfort from their shared embarrassment. The searching limb fell through empty space and found the mattress instead. He grasped at the air looking for the man that should have been next to him before Keith realized he was alone. He sat up in alarm. Lance’s pillow was still plump. He had never come to bed.

Keith staggered into living room in a panic and heaved with relief to see Lance was exactly where he’d left him on the couch, curled up with Red. Somehow both of them had managed to squeeze onto the small two-seater. Keith smiled fondly before his face shadowed with worry.

He crept over to them and knelt down in front of Lance, gently pressing his shoulder until he woke.

“Hey…” Keith said quietly, giving Lance’s arm an affectionate squeeze.

Lance mumbled back a sleepy ‘hey’.

“You slept out here?” Keith’s voice pitched higher with concern. 

“Yeah…”

“Are you mad at me?” Keith asked hesitantly.

Lance looked away and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “Mad isn’t the right word.”

Keith took Lance’s hand and stroked his thumb across his fingers. “I meant what I said, you know.”

“Huh?” Lance blinked groggily.

“That I love you. I love you and I'm sorry.” Keith leaned forward to hug him.

Lance hummed thoughtfully in response.

“Please come back to bed?” Keith squeezed him tighter.

“Okay…” Lance sighed sleepily, letting Keith help him up and lead him by the hand back to their bedroom. He stopped at the side of the bed after Keith climbed into it. Keith gently tugged on his hand for him to join, but Lance didn’t move. He grimaced with uncertainty and looked at the floor then began slowly pulling his fingers from Keith’s grip.

“Lance, please…” Keith urged, clinging to the receding fingertips. 

Eventually, Lance relented and crawled into bed. He lay staring at the ceiling next to Keith, who watched him with increasing concern. The distance between them seemed to have grown.

“I’m sorry I called you a dumbfuck.” Keith tried to lighten the mood.

Lance let out a wry puff of air that almost passed as a laugh. “I am kind of a dumbfuck.” His voice waxed sardonic in a way that had Keith worried he actually believed it. He clasped Lance’s hand and tried to interlace their fingers but Lance’s didn’t curl around his. Discomfort brewed in Keith’s stomach. This wasn’t like their other tiffs.

“Keith…” Lance pulled his hand away and turned towards him. He gripped handfuls of fabric at the base of Keith’s shirt and curled into his chest. “Don't hurt me, okay? I don’t think I’d ever recover.” 

The whisper shook Keith. He grasped his boyfriend, hugging him tight. “Lance, I’d never. I’m sorry, hey-” He cupped Lance’s face and pulled it up to kiss his lips, but stopped when Lance wasn’t kissing him back. He pulled away with a concerned noise, looking questioningly at his boyfriend, the severity of the situation slowly dawning on him. Lance dropped his eyes from Keith’s hurt expression.

“Talk to me...” Keith pleaded, frantically shaking his shoulder. Lance just sighed and looked at him with sad, empty eyes. Keith pulled him close again, eyes wide with shock, not knowing what to do. He’d never seen Lance so unresponsive.

_Don't make me say it..._

“Please…” He begged, squeezing the man in his arms with desperation. 

“I don't know if I can do this anymore...” Lance buried his face against Keith’s neck and went limp in his arms.

“Lance, no! I’m sorry! I didn’t know-” Keith’s voice cracked. He felt the Lance’s body shudder with a sob. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry...” He rested his chin against Lance’s head, not knowing what else to do than to hold him and keep repeating it. Keith’s face twisted with worry, worry and a sinking feeling that he might be holding Lance for the last time.

 

 

Shiro: Hey. You guys okay after that?

Keith: No  
Keith: I don’t think we are

Shiro: Shit. I’m sorry...

Keith: Not your fault  
Keith: I’m not gonna be at the gym for a while

Shiro: That bad, huh?

Keith: It’s bad Shiro

 

 

 

_Twelve days later_

Keith tiptoed through the living room past the sleeping form on the couch. His eyes labored over the pile of blankets and the swath of brown hair sticking out one end of it. Every day he thought it might hurt less than the last, and every morning he came out of the bedroom to discover how very wrong he was. They weren’t even fighting about Shiro anymore. He’d had apologized countless times for getting swept up in the moment, Lance had admitted that he hadn’t been as ready for it as he’d thought, and they’d left it at that. But the experience had driven a wedge between them that neither of them seemed to know how to extricate. They were at an impasse, a stalemate where neither one of them wanted to be the one to pull the trigger or force a conversation. Keith hadn’t meant to hurt him. The rising panic that this was all his fault began to bubble up, but Keith quickly pushed it back down. It wasn’t going to help. He sighed quietly through his heartache and, weighed down with guilt, trudged to the kitchen. He pulled open the refrigerator, which was louder than he thought it would be. Lance stirred on the couch at the sound. 

“Ugh, there’s no more orange juice,” Keith grumbled audibly, morning moodiness showing. He shook the empty carton and swung the fridge door shut with an irritated sigh. It drove him crazy when Lance put empty containers back in the fridge.

“Ah sorry, I finished it last night,” Lance croaked from couch.

“It’s okay,” Keith quickly lightened his tone and tossed the carton into the trash, grabbing a glass of water instead. He was trying to let the little things go and could tell Lance was doing the same. The bathroom countertop had been spotless of late.

“I can go to the store before work,” Lance said, stretching through a yawn, and threw his blanket aside to crawl off the couch.

“No, I’ll go,” Keith offered. Lance blinked at him sleepily. Keith never did the grocery shopping on his own. They’d be eating Cocoa Puffs and protein powder for every meal if it were left up to him.

Keith grabbed his keys and stepped into his boots.

“Take your jacket.” Lance met him at the door with his coat in hand. “It’s cold out there.” He smiled carefully.

“Thanks.” Keith delicately smiled back and took the jacket. “Need anything else?”

Lance had a dozen snarky comebacks to that, _a time machine_ being the front-runner, but shook his head no. Keith left, and Lance sank back onto the couch that had been his bed for the last week and change, pleased that they’d had a good moment. He rubbed a sleeping Red’s ears with a small smile. Little moments like that gave him hope. Lance didn’t know if they were together or broken up or stuck in a perpetual state of limbo, but either way, it wasn't good. Things were still strained between them, and they were compensating for it by being especially tolerant of each other’s idiosyncrasies. It was exhausting being so patient all the time. Still, Lance took it as a good sign. At least they were both trying. 

 

 

Lance slouched at his work desk, staring idly at his computer screen. His eyes and more critically, his brain, refused to focus. He quickly tried to look busy when Coran wandered by and looked at him suspiciously.

“What's wrong, my boy? You look a spot under the weather,” the red-headed man remarked, eyeing the bags under Lance’s eyes.

“Yeah, I haven't been sleeping well lately,” Lance sighed wearily.

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about a very serious matter.” Coran thumbed his mustache. Lance’s insides sank at the prospect of more bad news. “It's official!” Coran threw his arms into the air. “We'd like to upgrade you from intern to full time employee!” 

Lance smiled, but it was muted. “Really? That's awesome.”

“You just have to sign the paperwork, should you accept. And of course it comes it a pay bump- what's the matter? You don't look excited at all.” Coran put his hands on his hips and bent forward at the waist to peer at him.

“No, I- I am. This is great. Just... Things have been a little rocky with Keith lately. But of course I accept!” Lance stood up quickly and shook Coran’s hand. “I'm really looking forward to it. Thank you.” 

“Ah, a lover’s quarrel.” Coran stood up straight and rocked his weight between his heels and toes. “Lost a wink or two over those myself back in the day. Well, you’ll figure it out.” Lance lurched forward as Coran slapped him on the back. “Or maybe you won’t. Either way, time goes on! See you Monday, oh nine hundred hours!” 

Lance watched Coran go, thinking his boss really needed to work on his pep talks. He was right about one thing though, time went on alright. Still, a full time job! It was a huge relief. They could finally get a bigger place with a yard for Red like they’d been- Lance caught himself. The thought had been so automatic. Given the way things had been going, he wasn’t certain he and Keith would be living together much longer. What would they do with Red if they… Lance covered his mouth and dropped back into his desk chair. He felt sick. If nothing else, the extra money would make it easier for him to move out if it came to that, a somber reality he realized he might need to prepare for. 

Lance sighed heavily and went back to staring at his computer screen. He failed to be productive the rest of the afternoon.

 

 

The next morning, Keith told Lance that he wanted to start going back to the gym. Well, he didn’t so much _tell_ him as Lance saw him packing his gym bag and figured it out. Keith had been afraid to bring it up, worried it would spark another argument. But strangely, it didn’t. Lance was supportive, saying it’d be good for them to get back to their old routines, and even offered him a ride.

They didn’t talk much on the drive over. Lance was appropriately nervous about leaving Keith alone with Shiro for the first time since their blow up but didn't want to upset the balance by bringing it up. He cleared his throat in an attempt to start a different conversation.

“Hey, so they're giving me a full-time job in Coran’s lab.” 

Keith smiled at him with surprise. “Lance, that's great! Congrats. I’m really happy for you.” 

Though there was sincerity to it, Lance hated the stilted edge their voices carried when they talked to each other, overly kind in tone, like they were trying to put a positive spin on a tragedy or mask their grief from a child too small to understand.

“Yeah. It’s more money and a really good career move.” They exchanged careful smiles for a moment before Lance put his eyes back on the road. “I could see if they have anything for you,” he offered carefully, knowing job hunting was a touchy subject for Keith.

“Maybe.” Keith didn’t sound enthusiastic.

“You’re more than qualified, and I'm sure Coran would-”

“Stop bugging me about jobs, okay? I'll find one eventually.” Keith was instantly moody. He turned his hand over in his lap and picked at one of his calluses. His spotty employment record was just one more thing he felt guilty about.

Lance fidgeted, looking for a way to clear the awful, heavy silence that plagued them yet again.

“Say hi to Shiro for me, but no making out with him, okay?” He joked, elbowing Keith as he pulled into the parking lot. Keith shot him an aggravated look.

“I said I was sorry for that!” He tried not to snap.

“Okay, jeez! It was a joke.” Lance sounded more annoyed than apologetic. 

“I can’t believe you think I’d-” Keith huffed and folded his arms.

 _It’s a legitimate concern!_ Lance wanted to scream but bit his tongue hard. Tiptoeing around each other all the time was wearing them both down. He wasn’t sure how much longer they were going to last before their pent-up frustrations dissolved into another huge blow out.

They exchanged rather curt goodbyes. Lance sighed with frustration after Keith snatched up his gym bag and slammed the car door shut. They’d soured another good moment. In hindsight, expressing his concerns through humor was probably not the right way to go about it. Lance was trying to be careful, but recently, talking to Keith felt like navigating a minefield. He watched him storm into the gym and frowned. Sometimes the bad moments really eclipsed the good ones. 

  

 

Allura wasn’t able to make it, so Lance walked the mall alone. He’d been hesitant to talk to anyone about his situation with Keith, expecting most of his friends wouldn’t understand. He could only imagine the scandalized look that would takeover Hunk’s face. And the usually reliable Shiro was the goddamn source of the problem. Pidge…? No. But Allura, she might have some useful advice on his predicament. It was a shame she couldn’t be there. 

Lance wandered aimlessly. At least he thought he did, but his feet subconsciously led him to a familiar storefront window- his favorite one to sneak peeks through then secretly grin to himself. Without Allura or anybody else, he didn’t need to be so discreet. He stared openly, a sad half-smile replacing his usual giddiness. With the pay bump at work he’d even be able to afford it soon, but his heart ached. If Keith didn’t love him… Then there wasn’t any point in buying it anymore. Amongst the smattering of bracelets, necklaces, and other items in the display, Lance’s eyes fixed on a black tungsten ring with a thick colored stripe wrapping around its middle, half red, half blue. He’d had his eye on it for months. The colors blended together like wispy comet tails and the ring was set with small flecks of metal that reminded him of the stars. Keith was his star. Lance’s sky would be dark without him. A few weeks ago, he had easily seen putting that ring on Keith’s finger, but now, the possibility seemed so far-off.

_This can’t be happening to us..._

Lance remembered the first time he’d kissed Keith how time had stopped, how it felt like they were the only two people in the universe. Nevermind that they were at some trashy gay bar and that Keith was drunk off his ass, Lance had known the moment their lips touched, had _known_ that one day he was going to buy a ring.

_Maybe I am just a hopeless romantic..._

He didn’t know why he was standing there torturing himself, whether it was to give himself hope or to say goodbye to a future he’d been dreaming of. Lance lost track of time staring through the jewelry store window, absorbed in bittersweet thoughts and memories. 

“You looking at something for your girlfriend?” A teasing voice said behind him. Lance snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the college-aged girl peering around his shoulder.

“My boyfriend, actually.” Lance corrected, if he could still call Keith that. “Well, I was… I dunno anymore.” 

“Really?” She squealed, too excited to notice Lance’s brow had creased with worry. “Iysha, Shannon, get over here! This guy’s gonna propose to his boyfriend!”

“No, no, no. Things have been kinda weird lately. I’m not sure if-”

“Aw, really?” Two girls carrying several shopping bags trotted over. “Tell us about him!”

“Is he cute?”

“How did you guys meet?”

Lance looked between their expectant faces and smiled sheepishly at the barrage of questions. He didn’t have the heart to tell them that they were in a rough patch that they might not make it out of.

“Oh, he’s cute, alright,” Lance smiled fondly, giving in to their eagerness. “Wait, I might have a good picture of him...” He cracked a bigger smile and pulled out his phone. Even if things seemed dire, he couldn’t resist bragging about Keith.

 

 

Keith side-kicked a punching bag. The impact left a satisfying echo ringing in his ears. His session with Shiro hadn’t even started yet, but the strip of space between his shoulder blades was already damp with sweat. He’d missed having a physical outlet, and there was no shortage of tension to dissipate. He was furious at Lance’s comment in the car and his fists let the bag know it. How could Lance think he’d do that to him? Did he not trust him? It took a few more punches for him to realize that most of his anger lay with himself. He’d been taking it out on Lance when really the blame rested squarely on his shoulders. He was the one who’d suggested having a threesome in the first place. He laid several hard jabs into the bag. 

How had he not noticed Lance was uncomfortable?

He pretended to dodge an opponent then swung a hook-uppercut combo.

Why hadn’t he made sure they talked it through more?

He strung a jab-cross together and punctuated it with a knee to the bag. He staggered backwards, balance thrown off by the unyielding heavy sack.

He’d been selfish, that’s why. 

Keith grit his teeth and kicked the bag hard enough to make his shin go numb.

He’d hurt Lance, he’d hurt their relationship, and he wasn’t sure there was any way to fix it. 

He slammed a hard punch across his body.

 _THIS IS ALL_

Slam.

 _MY_

Slam.

_FAULT!_

Slam. Slam. Slam.

He pummeled the bag with no intent of stopping until his arms gave out.

“I take it things are still not good with Lance...” Shiro said carefully as he approached, holding the bag for Keith’s last few punches. A sweaty mess, Keith stepped back from the apparatus and dropped onto a nearby bench, panting. He leaned on his knees as he took his gloves off and shook his head with a pained face.

“He’s still sleeping on the couch...” Keith admitted with a helpless shrug. Shiro tossed him a water bottle and a towel and took a seat next to him.

“Yeah, you guys had a pretty bad fight.” He nodded with understanding, having heard most of it. 

“It was so scary, Shiro.” Keith looked at his friend with fearful eyes, remembering the more terrifying moments of their argument. “I thought he was gonna break up with me. I’m still worried we might…”

Shiro frowned sympathetically.

“I’ve just never seen him like this before. He barely talks to me. He’s completely shut down half the time. I’ve been waiting for it to blow over, but I think...” Keith’s shoulders dropped. “I think I’m losing him.” His voice pitched.

Shiro snorted. “Well if you keep waiting for it to blow over, you might.” Keith’s alarmed eyes snapped to him. “Relationships aren’t easy, Keith. You have to work at it. Have the uncomfortable conversations, be brutally honest with each other, really communicate. You can’t just wait for things to get better.”

“I’ve apologized so many times! I don’t know what else to do!” Keith flailed his arms in frustration. “I love him so much! I feel like I will literally die without him, Shiro! Literally _DIE!_ ” He cried in panic. Shiro wrapped an arm around Keith’s shoulders to calm him down.

“Does he know that?” Shiro asked pointedly.

Keith choked. No. Lance didn’t know that. Because he’d never told him. Not properly anyways, not outside of their argument. For some dumb reason, he’d thought it was cuter to tease him and act aloof rather than actually telling Lance how he felt. 

“Lance carries a lot of self-doubt, Keith. He thrives on validation and reassurance, and you’re pretty closed off a lot. You might have to let those walls down a bit and give him a little more.” The advice came with a very dad-like half hug.

Keith slumped forward and pushed his face into his towel. Give him a little more… He’d barely given Lance anything, meeting most of his poor boyfriend’s affectionate declarations with sarcasm and wit rather than anything sincere. And he’d held out on saying ‘I love you’ for inexcusably long, dangling it like a carrot over Lance’s head, even though he knew Lance was starving for it. And for what, a running joke? It wasn’t funny, it was just cruel!

“Oh Shiro, I really fucked this up…” Keith moaned, feeling like the worst boyfriend in history. He didn’t deserve to be with Lance. He didn’t deserve to be with anybody.

“Just try talking to him. Telling him how you feel might go a long way.” Shiro patted Keith’s back encouragingly.

Keith nodded. Shiro wasn’t wrong, but it was easier said than done. He froze half the time he tried to talk about his feelings. His voice just stopped working, which was probably why his usual MO was to play them off with snark.

“It might be too late…” Keith groaned. He’d dug himself into a hole he wasn’t sure he could climb out of, and he wouldn’t blame Lance if he wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

Shiro’s lips pulled tight with disappointment. “Keith, forgive me for saying this, but that sounds like a real bullshit excuse. I know you don’t like dealing with uncomfortable situations, I know you avoid them at all costs, especially ones that involve your emotions, but sometimes you gotta suck it up for the people you love. Don’t run from him. Don’t push him away. You deal with this, Keith! Head on!” Shiro shot him a hard look. Keith raised his eyebrows, not used to Shiro dishing out such harsh words. 

“You’ve both been happier than ever since you found each other. And frankly, you’d be idiots not to fight for it.” His trainer paused a moment to let his words sink in. “Come on. Time to workout.” Shiro slapped him on the back and mussed up his hair before heading to the weight racks.

Keith sat up straighter on the bench, a bit shell-shocked, but Shiro was right. He needed to fight for Lance. 

 

 

Keith left the gym just over an hour later and anxiously looked around for Lance. A solid workout and a hot shower left him feeling mentally reset for the first time in days. He wasn’t going to avoid dealing with it anymore. No more skirting around the issue, he was going to tackle it head on, just like Shiro had said! He finally saw Lance down the street in front of the Coffee Shack, talking animatedly to a trio of girls. There was something about the sideways grin on Lance’s face that Keith found unsettling. It wasn’t until Lance casually flicked a finger-gun that elicited a fit of giggles from the girls that he understood why. Ice ran through his veins. He’d seen that display before. Lance was flirting. Keith couldn’t believe it. He’d been worried he was losing him but didn’t think it would happen so fast or that Lance would be so blatant about it. He sagged helplessly. Lance even had his cell phone out to take selfies with them. All the times he’d witnessed that man pick up some girl and take her home without ever noticing he was an option came rushing back to him, stinging like an old wound ripped open. Keith grit his teeth.

_Is he fucking serious?_

His heart rate climbed. He’d spent every night sleepless, sobbing into his pillow that Lance wasn’t in the bed with him, wracked with guilt over what he’d caused, desperately hoping they’d find a way to fix it, and Lance was out here flirting? He’d already moved on?

_Oh, I’m gonna fight for him alright…_

Shaking with rage, he stomped down the sidewalk towards Lance and the gaggle of girls.

“Lance, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Keith didn’t keep the accusation out of his voice.

Lance spun around and grinned happily at him. “Hey! There you are! Meet my new friends, Iysha, Shannon, and Tiff!”

Keith folded his arms and glared at the three girls. A few moments of silence passed.

“Oh my god, is that’s him?” One of them whispered to another.

“You’re Keith!” Another one of them pointed at him with a friendly laugh. 

“Huh?” Keith blinked.

“Lance was just telling us about you!”

“Surly and kinda emo, I totally see it!” A second one, Iysha maybe, chimed in. 

“What?” Keith said, confused.

Lance threw an arm around him and pulled him into the circle, prompting a chorus of ‘aw’s from the girls. “He’s pretty unfriendly at first, but he warms up once he gets to know you, don’t you babe?” Lance kissed his cheek making Keith blush and bashfully mutter ‘stop’. He didn’t know what magic these girls had worked, but Lance hadn’t called him babe all week.

“You guys are so cute together,” Tiff sang.

“Lance tells us you’re a super fit fighter and were top of your class at the Garrison!”

“And that you’re amazing at dancing but only when you’re drunk,” the dark haired one giggled.

Lance laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head, shooting Keith an apologetic smile. Keith stared back at him in shock, realizing he’d jumped to some pretty massive conclusions. Lance wasn’t flirting; He’d been gushing to strangers about him. Keith’s insides warmed. He hooked his arm around Lance’s waist and squeezed his hip with a soft smile.

“Well, Lance here is pretty great too,” Keith smiled at the man next to him. “He always kept me on my toes in school, and he just got an awesome job offer. He’s really got his shit together like that.” Keith could see Lance positively swelling with joy as he spoke. “And you should see him with his little nieces and nephews… You even took a punch for me once.” Keith tilted his head and melted once again for the stupid boy he’d caught feelings for all those years ago. He nearly forgot they had an audience and hoped they didn’t notice the tears starting to well in his eyes once he remembered they were there.

“Aw, Keith...” Lance stepped in and hugged him. More than a little choked up, Keith flung his arms around Lance with a shuddering breath, pressing the pads of his fingers into his back never wanting to let go and remembering how his cheek fit perfectly against Lance’s collarbone.

“You’re too good to me.” A whisper only Lance could here. Lance squeezed him so hard he could barely breath, inciting more ‘aws’ from their audience. 

Lance swapped Instagram handles with the trio before they parted way, his arm still around Keith.

“Lance!” Tiff called after them as they departed. “Ask him. Trust me,” she said with a wink.

“Ask what?” Keith looked at Lance, perplexed.

“Just what you want for lunch, babe,” Lance laughed nervously and ushered Keith away from the girls before they could say anything else.

Keith smiled to himself at Lance calling him babe again and considered his question. “Pancakes. With bananas.”

"Pancakes with bananas, coming right up!" Lance internally heaved a sigh of relief and congratulated himself on the nice save.

 

 

“You thought I was flirting?!” Lance laughed loudly in the diner over his eggs.

“I dunno, you used to any chance you got and things have been weird lately... I’ve been half-expecting you to dump me any day now.”

Lance tilted his head sympathetically. “I’ve been worried about that too, but... I don’t want to break up.” The sincerity in his voice lifted huge weight off Keith’s shoulders. “Talking to those girls kinda reminded me why I like you.” He knocked his foot against one of Keith’s under the table.

“You had me worried, you now…” Keith gently kicked him back.

“Aw, did I make Keithy jeawous?” Lance snickered as he buttered his toast. Keith narrowed his eyes playfully over his pancakes.

“Don’t call me that. And please, like I’d be jealous of a pack of sorority girls,” Keith scoffed sarcastically. At first, he had been, but now he was more than grateful to them. He and Lance were somehow back to teasing each other and their usual playful banter.

“Hey, they were nice!” Lance chided. “And I could totally make you jealous if I wanted to, Kogane.” He laid the claim down with a confidence. Keith huffed but wasn’t in a hurry to bait Lance into that challenge.

“Like if I had a crazy ex that drunk texted me every couple months trying to get me back? I bet that’d make you pretty jealous,” Lance said smugly and flicked his eyebrows with challenge.

“Pfff. If I recall, all your exes couldn’t get away from you fast enough,” Keith called what he suspected was a very Lance bluff and reached for more syrup.

“Ah ah, those are just the ones you know about. The girls,” Lance said slyly. “You don’t know the men, Keith. And there have been _men._ ” He waggled his eyebrows. “This one in particular-”

“Stop it, Lance.” Warning edged into Keith’s voice. He gripped his utensils tighter. 

Lance laughed at how uncomfortable his boyfriend looked. “Jealousy, thy name is Keith.” He declared victoriously.

“Well good thing all I have to do is look at Shiro for too long to make you jealous,” Keith snapped.

That shut Lance up, wiped the smirk right off his face. He dropped his knife and fork against his plate with a loud clank.

“Nice one, Keith,” he muttered and slouched in the booth, staring distantly out the window. The uncomfortable silence, the palpable distance. Just like that, they were back.

Keith was furious with himself. He’d done it again. Shiro was still a touchy subject, why did he have to go there? Why did he always have to be so damned competitive? _Why are you like this, Keith?_

“Sorry. That was uncalled for,” he apologized, rubbing his brow, wondering why he always took things one step too far.

Lance didn’t look at him and stayed silent for a long moment. Keith sighed, remembering Shiro’s advice. _Head-on._

“We gotta talk about it, Lance,” Keith said and watched Lance shift uncomfortably.

“Yeah, I’ve actually been thinking about the Shiro thing,” Lance said.

 _The Shiro thing._ Keith cringed at how he said it.

“I was thinking maybe we should try again, with some ground rules this time?” Lance said firmly with just a trace of insecurity.

“Uhhhhh… What?” Keith was caught off guard by the unexpected turn. He failed to see how dragging Shiro back in would help their situation. And he did _not_ want a repeat of last time.

“Yeah, I think it would help me get over some things.” Lance nodded to himself, wanting to prove to himself that his irrational fear of Keith leaving him for Shiro was just that - irrational - or it was going to eat him alive forever. Their relationship would crumble under the weight of it. It was already crumbling...

Keith furrowed his brow, perplexed. It didn’t sound like a good idea at all. “Okay before we even talk about that, there’s something I gotta tell you first,” he started, trying to be more open and honest like Shiro had suggested. Lance stiffened at that ominous opener. Keith took a breath to prepare himself.

“You asked me if I wasn’t with you, if I’d be with Shiro.”

“Whoa, I dunno if we should revisit-”

“I would.” Keith said flatly, jumping straight to the crux of their issue. “I would sleep with him. There’s a physical connection there, and I just want to be honest about that in case it impacts your decision about- doing anything with him.” _Or dumping me…_ Keith didn’t want to say it.

Lance glowered at him, unamused. 

“Pfff. I mean, I figured...” he muttered moodily and poked at his eggs, seeing how hard he could graze the yolk with his fork without breaking it. He appreciated Keith’s candor but almost wished he hadn’t said it. At least before he could pretend it was all in his head.

“But I also wouldn’t.” Keith kept talking. “I wouldn’t want to date him. He's a bit too, what’s the word...” His face scrunched trying to think of it.

“Parental?” Lance snarked.

“ _Yes! That._ Shiro’s great in a lot of ways, but it’d feel too much like he was taking care of me all the time, ya know? I can’t handle the Dad-mode.”

Lance slouched in the booth and rubbed his eyes as Keith continued talking. He did not want to be hearing about some guy he could never measure up to.

“So I guess I’d just be friends with benefits or whatever and-”

“Enough, Keith.” Lance cut him off with a tired sigh and went back to prodding his eggs, wondering if it was best to just step aside and let them- His hand slipped, piercing the yolk. “Why are you telling me this?” He asked, voice tired.

“That’s the only kind of relationship I had, before you,” Keith explained.

Lance squinted, trying to figure out Keith’s angle. It slowly dawned on him what Keith might be getting at. Just because he didn’t want to break up didn’t mean that Keith wanted to stay together. Lance nodded with understanding and wet his lips, watching a yellow puddle drain across his plate. Lance expected to be more upset when the dreaded moment finally came, imagined his chest would fold in on itself, thought he’d cry or sob or shout, but strangely he didn’t feel much of anything at all. The last two weeks had left him too numb to feel his heart breaking, though he was certain it must be. 

“So, you wanna go back to that? Just having friends with benefits?” Lance said somber-faced. “I gotta tell ya, Keith, I don’t think I can-”

“What? No! That’s not what I’m- ugh.” Keith clenched his fists and groaned at how badly he was fucking up what he was trying to say. “It’s different with you, Lance!” He sighed heavily then slowly brought his eyes up to the man across the table. “You’re _different._ Of all that people that I’ve ever-” He choked. Lance cocked his head at him. Keith took a breath and tried again. “Look, whatever we end up doing with Shiro, _if_ we end up doing anything with him, it’s not gonna change how I feel about you. I- I’ll always-” He voice faltered again. “Ugh, why do feelings suck!” He slammed his fists onto the table, making the tableware and cutlery jump. The outburst attracted a few concerned glances from nearby tables.

Lance slowly sat up straighter, a little bubble of hope inflating inside him. Keith was so bad at communicating, but bless him, he was trying his best.

“You're doing great, Keith. Keep going,” Lance encouraged quietly.

“I can't. I'm gonna cry.” Keith covered his face with one hand and clenched his jaw.

Lance reached across the table and softly touched his hand.

“So cry,” Lance said gently.

Keith’s composure wavered. He drew in a shaky breath. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone else. _Ever,_ Lance.” Tears were brimming in Keith’s eyes. He was fighting to not blink. “I hated you at first, but... it’s always been you.” He looked down and blinked, sprinkling the tabletop with droplets. “You’re everything to me and I probably haven’t made that clear enough.” He sobbed through a few breaths. Lance’s chest swelled but he didn’t say anything yet. He wanted to let Keith finish. Keith brought his damp eyes to Lance again. “I am so, so sorry for all of this. I never meant to hurt you. You’re the best thing that's ever-” He couldn't finish and squeezed Lance’s fingers instead, wiping his eyes with his other hand. “Shiro’s off the table for now,” he added with finality. “I don’t want to ruin this.”

Lance stared at Keith, a bit misty-eyed himself. They slowly smiled at each other. Their fingers danced together, slowly interlacing in their first peaceful and unburdened silence in days.

“You really never had a boyfriend before me?” Lance finally spoke, squeezing Keith’s hand gently. He knew a few names from Keith’s past but had never known the exact circumstances.

Keith shrugged and shyly looked up at Lance. “Not really. Just people I messed around with.”

“You never told me that…” Lance couldn’t contain his smile. He was Keith’s first.

“It’s embarrassing!” Keith didn’t want to explain how no one had ever cared enough to love him. 

“So you never did the cute stuff? Like cuddling and going on dates?”

“Well yeah, sometimes. It was just never implicit it would happen again. No one ever really stuck around. I guess I learned not to get attached. That’s probably why it took me so long to…” Keith looked like he was struggling again. Lance’s brow softened. He climbed out of the booth and slid into Keith’s side it so he could wrap an arm around him.

“You know I’m sticking around, right?” He shook him gently. Keith leaned into his side and felt Lance’s lips touch against the side of his head.

“Things have been weird. I dunno what to think...”

“Hey, look at me.” Lance waited until Keith brought his eyes up to meet his. “I’m not going _anywhere._ ” Keith’s lips pinched together. He caught fresh tears with the back of his hand before they got too far down his cheeks then fell forward to hug Lance.

“I’m sorry, Lance. I’ve been a real shit boyfriend.”

“Shh, stop.” Lance squeezed him. 

“Will you please sleep in the bed tonight?” Keith asked shyly. 

Lance pulled back to look at him. “Or you can scrunch on the couch with me. I bet it’d be pretty cozy, just the two of us,” he giggled. Keith relaxed against him with a small laugh of relief. The long-held knot in his stomach loosened. It finally felt like they’d made it through to the other side.

“Now back to Shiro not changing your feelings.” Lance sat back and kept one arm around Keith, the usual cockiness restored to his voice. “How is it that you feel, exactly? You know, about me, Lancey Lance, your first-ever _novio_?” Lance grinned sideways. 

“Does that mean boyfriend?” Keith deadpanned. 

“Si, si, mi amour,” Lance nodded with a smarmy smirk. Keith groaned and turned away mildly embarrassed, knowing Lance was going to never let him forget it. 

Lance laughed and turned Keith’s cheek back toward him. “Hey. You think maybe you love me?” He asked gently.

Keith smiled softly, on the edge of tears again. “You know I do.”

“Yeah?” Lance leaned in, beaming.

“Yeah. I love you,” Keith whispered right before Lance kissed him. _Really_ kissed him. It was the first time since they’d fought. Keith gasped a little as the familiar, soft lips parted for him. It felt like it had been an eternity. He brushed his hand along the side of Lance’s face and touched it to the back of his neck, keeping him close in case he pulled away again. He felt Lance’s lips draw into as smile as they broke apart.

 _I love you_ Keith mouthed again with a shy smile, brushing Lance’s cheek. Lance sported a giddy grin and gently knocked their foreheads together.

“You taste like pancakes,” he snickered. 

“Bananas too?” Keith chuckled.

“Let me check again,” Lance said and found his boyfriend’s mouth once more.

 

\----- 

 

Keith ignored the minor indigestion from scarfing down his pancakes as fast as possible in an effort to get Lance home sooner. There was a more pressing burning to deal with. He fell against Lance as soon as they were both in the bedroom, pressing their mouths together and knocking him back onto the bed.

“Holy shit, ba-” Lance had a moment to gasp before Keith was on top of him, covering his mouth again. Keith kissed him hard, pulling at his clothes, crashing their hips together, and breathily gasping Lance’s name between clacks of teeth.

“You’re not even drunk!” Lance marveled when Keith pulled back to lift his own shirt over his head. He hastily cast it to the floor and paused to give Lance a look that let him know that he meant business. A tinge of color rose to Lance’s cheeks.

In a flash, Keith’s hands were on Lance’s body, his lips at his neck, tugging his pants open, pushing his shirt up. Lance relaxed, letting the frenzied touch ease some of the misgivings and doubts he’d been harboring. He put his arms up and let Keith take his shirt up over his head.

Teeth clashed again. Keith rolled to the side and pulled Lance on top to straddle him. He pushed his hips up into Lance’s weight and sighed long and slow, reveling in the pressure. The craving for Lance’s weight and warmth on him had gone unabated for too long.

“You wanna top?” Lance smirked, rocking gently against his groin.

Keith dizzily shook his head. “I just wanna look at you.” It felt like forever since he’d seen Lance’s body. Uncertainty and worry had a funny way of stretching time out.

“Well, I’m no Shiro,” Lance joked, suddenly bashful.

The words pulled at Keith’s heart strings, twisting his face with tenderness. He shook his head at how wrong Lance was, how blind he must be to not see... Keith splayed his fingers and dragged them down Lance’s trim torso, kneading the tan, firm flesh as he went, holding his breath captive in the top of his throat and only letting it out after his fingers jutted over a sharp hipbone and swept across the hem of his boxer briefs. He pressed his palm into Lance’s forming hardness and felt his hips jolt forward at the touch. Keith snaked his eyes up Lance’s frame to the focused, blue eyes that watched him. The eyes that never failed to render him breathless. He’d missed having those eyes on him...

A burst of desire went off in Keith’s chest. Flames licked at his groin. His hands shot back up Lance’s body, grasping at his chest, his shoulders, his face. He rolled up, bringing his lips with them, and pulled Lance by the hips into his lap. Keith rested his forehead against Lance’s chest and slowly dragged clawed hands up the denimed thighs at his sides then continued upwards with heavy breaths. He shut his eyes, focusing all his senses on feeling the length of Lance’s back, the impossible flawlessness and smoothness of his skin, and the familiar shape of the jutting shoulder blades he’d clung to on many a steamy occasion.

Dextrous fingers danced in his hair and drew Keith from his recollections. He pulled back to look at their source and brushed his thumb over his cheekbone, catching a snatch of blue beneath heavily lidded eyes. Perfection. How did Lance not see everything that he was?

He lay back on the mattress, tracing his hands along Lance’s edges as he went, the rough of his calluses catching against Lance’s precious skin. Keith lightened his touch, worried he would mar it. 

“You’re perfect, Lance. You've always been perfect,” he whispered, making the boy on top of him blush. Keith bit his lip and pulled Lance’s waistband back, letting it go with a playful snap and flashing a cheeky grin upwards.

“I’m okay, I guess,” Lance laughed, rubbing the back of his head shyly.

One edge of Keith’s lip curled downwards. He wasn’t satisfied with that. He tore his own pants open and pressed Lance’s hand against the stiff length straining beneath his maroon underwear. 

“You feel how hard I am for you?” He searched Lance’s face for understanding, watched his eyes widen. Lance flushed a deeper red as Keith dragged his fingers over the bump of his head and pressed them into a patch where the fabric was darker, wet with precum.

“That’s how much I want you.” 

Lance’s eyelashes fluttered at him. A soft exhale slipped through his lips. Keith groaned with want as Lance’s fingers carefully explored the proof of Keith’s desire for him.

“I want you, Lance,” Keith’s voice broke with desperation as he hungrily palmed Lance’s crotch again. Lance breathed in sharply and rolled his hips into it then fell forward to kiss him. 

They helped each other scramble out of their pants and Lance soon had his face between his boyfreind’s legs.

“No, I should be the one… doing that...” Keith insisted, trying to stop his head from rolling back. After the trouble he’d caused over last couple weeks, he wanted to make this about Lance.

“You know I like to give,” Lance smirked then dragged the flat of his tongue up Keith’s length.

“No, but-” He gasped as hot, tight heat surrounded him. Keith couldn’t keep the protest up; Lance’s vacuum-like mouth always made his brain short-circuit. He fell back against the mattress, watching his head bob. “Baby, you’re so good at that…” Keith whispered and delicately touched the side of Lance’s head.

Lance internally squeaked at being called ‘baby’ and deepthroated him eagerly.

“Fuck...” Keith wailed a moan, squirming one leg up and grinding his heel into the mattress. 

“Shh, the neighbors,” Lance pulled off, grinning to himself, and nipped his thigh in warning.

“I don’t care- AH!” Keith wailed again as Lance took him in deep.

“Lance…”

“Lance…”

The breathy murmurs of his name dissolved into inarticulate moans. Keith’s hips started shaking. Lance felt his thighs tense at the side of his head and pulled off just before Keith passed the point of no return. He looked down at his gasping mess of a boyfriend and grinned with satisfaction. Keith was putty in his hands. Lance reached for one of the six bottles of lube still on the nightstand. With a gentle curl of two fingers, Lance had him begging not yet and gasping about how he wanted to get his boyfriend off first.

“No… st- stop... I’m gonna c-”

“I know you are,” Lance said with an amused flick of his eyebrows and ran his slickened hand over Keith’s cock once more. Suddenly Keith’s body was convulsing on the bed in front of him. Hot streams splattered over his stomach. Mouth gaping, he didn’t take his eyes off Lance until he fell slack against the sweat-dampened sheets, out of breath and dizzily seeing stars. 

Lance leaned over him, watching him pant and brushed the dark hair back from his face. Keith’s eyes drifted in and out of focus looking at him. He pulled Lance down and kissed him as long as he could before he had to gasp for air. 

“What do you want? Anything, I’ll do it,” Keith breathed, holding Lance’s face close. 

Lance’s eyes went wide like a kid in a candy store. “That’s quite an offer…” He grinned but then hesitated. 

“What?” Keith stroked his cheek, reassuringly.

“Well, it’s kinda boring but… I just wanna make love to my boyfriend. Is that too cheesy a thing to ask for?” He cast a shy smile at the man beneath him.

Keith’s face twisted like he was in pain. He leaned up to brush Lance’s lips with his own then whispered, “No”. 

Lance smiled and kissed him gently. He pulled Keith towards him by the hips, splaying him across his kneeling thighs, and entered him with a low moan. Keith matched his sound, feeling his body parting for Lance as heat rushed through him again. His hands fell slack against the bed beside his head, mouth hanging open in a stunted gasp. With a shudder and a moan, his eyes lazily rolled shut. Lance made him feel so full.

Keith felt a familiar touch on his face and fluttered his eyes open with a smile. His boyfriend’s face was flush, lips parted ever so, eyes fixed on him. 

“I missed you,” Lance whispered, twisting his fingers through Keith’s hair.

“I missed you too.”

Their lips met, soft and slow at first, then grew with hunger and need for each other. Their arms were around each other, their hands at each others faces, in each others hair, fingers intertwining, mouths gasping and murmuring soft praises, bodies running hot, skin sticky with sweat.

“Ah, fuck Keith...” Lance had to break their lips to gasp. He slammed his forearm onto the mattress and dropped his head with a moan, driving his hips in, fast and deep. 

Keith felt his face flush, Lance’s breath quickening in his ear. He caught himself moaning involuntarily in time with Lance’s rocking hips, felt his heart pounding wildly against his ribs. Urgency rose within him. His back arched of it’s own accord as he was driven steadily towards the edge.

“Lance-” Keith cried a warning.

The eyes on their straining faces locked. Keith held onto Lance’s shoulders like his life depended on it, and let Lance, his one, his only Lance, take him into blissful oblivion.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Main goal for this chapter was to get them in a better place, not a perfect place, but a better one. Other goals:  
> \- make you less mad at Keith  
> \- make you root for their relationship again  
> \- make sure everyone knows Keith is hella hot for Lance
> 
> Hahaha... did you think they were gonna break up? This isn't Please Break Up Responsibly! But okay that got kinda sappier than I thought it would... Hopefully you weren't laughing at the cheesiness ^ ^;; 
> 
> Did anyone guess in chapter 1 that Lance was looking at a ring?
> 
> OH! I was totally working on the crying Keith part the day before his vlog dropped and it WRECKED ME! T__T
> 
> I know all their issues aren't dealt with yet. It can't happen in one chapter, and my main goal here was to get them in a better place. Also omg, Keith said it for reals!! <3 <3 Hopefully you're all rooting for them again. And maybe rooting for that threesome too...?
> 
> Next Chapter: **Boundaries**
> 
> (Might be a 2-3 weeks before the next update.) 
> 
> Phew, 8k words in a week is something I'm kinda proud of!  
> I also got a ton of awesome feedback and helpful criticism from several sources this week. It’s left me rather humbled but I'm excited to grow from it. I already see some improvements but am still a bit less confident about parts of this chapter. I definitely need to get better at writing smut. (Which means I get to read more smut! Yay!) Trying to not stress because, at the end of the day, it’s just fan fiction. I’ll keep doing it as long as it makes me happy. ^_^


	5. Boundaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They made it through the rough patch. Keith and Lance's relationship is recovering well, they’re getting stronger every day! But they're still juggling a few issues and working on communicating. 
> 
> All while the question looms if they should even attempt another threesome with Shiro... They both want it, but their relationship might not survive if it goes badly again. 
> 
> Can they figure out a way to make it work? Is it even worth the risk? It's proving to be a delicate balancing act with little room for error…
> 
> Things may start out a bit bumpy, but our boys get there in the end. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for being slow to get this update out. Been dealing with some health issues... I have mono. Ugh. -__- Which if you're not familiar with, it's the kind of illness where your life grinds to a halt for weeks if not months at a time. It's been rough, but Season 4 and fiddling with chapter have kept me going.  
> Please be patient with me on future updates while I recover! And I'm planning on responding to all your previous comments in the next few days too!
> 
> In the meantime, have some Shklance! Rating has been upped to explicit. You're welcome. >:3

  
 

An alarm blared on the nightstand rousing Keith from sleep. He grumbled and flailed one arm, slapping the phone that was the source of the racket until it shut up then flopped back onto the mattress, wrapping his arm around the body lying next to him. Lance had to be up for work soon but there was no reason why they couldn’t cuddle for a few minutes first. He snuggled up next to his boyfriend, grateful to have him back in the bed. A few weeks had passed since they’d made up, but the scare their fight had caused still felt painfully fresh. Keith slid his fingers down Lance’s bare back and traced slow circles at the base of his spine, wondering what he’d do without the man next to him. Lance hummed sleepily at the soft patterns Keith’s fingers made. Keith smiled and kissed his cheek then nestled his face in the crook of Lance’s neck, hoping the argument would one day be completely behind them. He slipped his hand down the back of Lance’s shorts and dragged his fingertips over the soft skin of his butt. Lance hummed again, louder this time. Keith shut his eyes and lazily explored the curve of the flesh beneath his fingers. His warm breath reflected off of Lance’s neck and blew back onto his own face. He softly kissed Lance’s skin while grasping at the subtle flesh of his behind, cupping one cheek, pulling it up then releasing, feeling it fall satisfyingly back into place against his palm.

“Well good morning to you too,” Lance snickered, voice croaky with the early hour.

“What? It’s nice to wake up with a butt to touch,” Keith smiled at him sleepily.

“Mister Kogane!” Lance gasped, pretending to be scandalized for a moment before scooting closer and finding Keith’s lips. He shifted, pressing his hips and the hard mass forming there against Keith’s thigh. Keith’s eyebrows twitched as he felt it. He broke from the kiss with a giggle and ducked under the blanket. Lance shivered a moment later, feeling a trail of soft kisses and warms flicks of a tongue travel down his stomach. He relaxed against his pillow with a dreamy grin on his face and was just thinking that it was a hell of a way to wake up when it occurred to him what time it was.

“Oh shi- Not today, babe! I’m late!” It was his first official day of working full-time which meant he couldn’t roll in late like he sometime did as an intern. And, like an idiot, he’d forgotten to set his alarm earlier the night before.

Lance scrambled out of bed leaving Keith tangled in the blankets and checked his phone to confirm that he was in fact late then began to get himself dressed as quickly as possible, muttering about not having time to do his hair while he pulled on his pants. Keith emerged from the blankets with quite the case of bed head and snickered at Lance’s feeble attempts to hide his boner.

“You sure you don’t want help with that? I can make it quick,” he offered with a seductive smile. 

“No time! I’ll deal with it in the car,” Lance said while hastily rifling through his wardrobe.

“Wow, in the car. Didn’t know you were into that,” Keith flicked his eyebrows.

“What?” Lance looked at him confused “KEITH! THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT!” Lance shrieked and proceeded to pout while buttoning up his shirt.

Keith laughed and lay back with his arms behind his head. Watching Lance get dressed was almost as fun as watching him undress.

“Hey, are we still gonna talk about it tonight?” Keith asked somewhat hesitantly.

“Hmm?” Lance cocked one eyebrow while grabbing his bag.

“We were gonna revisit the whole Shiro thing, but we don’t have to if...”

“Oh, right…” Lance said. They’d agreed to talk about it again once things had settled down and had set a date to check in on the matter so they could take their minds off it for a while. “Yeah, we should.” Lance finished getting his clothes on and wandered back over to the bed. He leaned over his boyfriend who was still mostly under the covers. “All right, Mr. Kogane, I’ll see you when I get home.” Lance attempted to straighten out Keith’s messy hair then touched his lips to his boyfriend’s. Keith held him close a few seconds longer than Lance had intended for that particular kiss. His elbows dropped to the mattress on either side of Keith’s head as his boyfriend sneakily turned it into a mini make session.

“Bye,” Keith smiled up at him softly.

Lance blew a breath between his lips. “You sure know how to make it hard for a guy to leave.”

“Get out of here, you dork, or you really will be late!” Keith pushed him away with a laugh and chased him with a loving smile until he heard Lance say goodbye to Red and the front door shut. He lay back in bed for a moment wishing Lance could have stayed longer then reluctantly pulled himself up to a seat with a heavy sigh. He’d promised himself, and more importantly Lance, that he was going to look for a job that day. And he was going to get right on that. No excuses! No procrastinating this time! He was going to get right down to- His stomach growled. Okay, maybe after some cocoa puffs...

 

 

 

Lance paused from busily typing away at his desk to yawn. It was gone three o’clock and his brain was starting to feel the longer hours. It was starting to be a struggle to stay focused. He smiled wryly to himself, thinking that it didn’t bode well for a lifetime of full-time employment. The vibrating of his phone at the edge of his desk provided a welcome distraction, and Lance smiled seeing Keith’s name pop up in the notification. 

 

Keith: Applied to 4 jobs!

Lance: that’s great babe! you’re gonna be employed in no time!  
Lance: we’ll be a regular couple of DINKs

Keith: wtf is a dink??

Lance: dual income, no kids  
Lance: ...yet ;)

Keith: Christ Lance… can you not?

Lance: hey i didn’t make it up <3

 

Lance chuckled, imagining Keith flustered and blushing like mad. He set his phone aside and quickly glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was glaring at him for being off-task then settled back into his work. His phone buzzed again a few minutes later. 

Lance finished what he was typing then picked it up expecting another text from Keith. What he saw on his screen made his eyes grow wide and his breath stall in his throat. He stared at the notification, more importantly, where it was was from, his fingertips turning white from how hard he was squeezing his phone.

 

Incoming message from: - Restricted - 

 

There was only one place restricted messages or calls came from and the memory of it made Lance’s blood curdle. He hadn’t received any messages like that in a while, long enough to make him believe that perhaps they’d finally stopped, that maybe, just maybe, he’d finally given up. Then again, that man was nothing if not persistent. Lance was too focused on his screen to notice how his breath had quickened or how dry his throat had gotten or to even remember that he was still at work. With a shaking finger, he tapped the notification to read the message.

 

Restricted: Need some -INSTANT- CA$H right now? Get up to $5000$ TODAY! Reply YES for more information. $NO interest$ $NO financing$ Send $$$-YES-$$$ today!

 

Lance blinked at his screen.

_It’s just spam…_

He dropped his phone on his desk and relaxed back in his desk chair with a heavy release of air. He let his arms fall slack at his sides and finally realized that he was shaking. He looked at his trembling hands then clenched them into angry fists.

_Fuck..._

_Calm down... It wasn't him..._

Lance swore under his breath as he clambered out of his chair. He tucked his phone in his pocket and decided it was high time for some fresh air and a coffee break.

He called Keith as soon as he was out of the building.

“Lance?”

“Hey. What’s up? Talk to me for a minute.” Lance tried to keep the strain out of his voice.

“Uh, sure. I just got back from the gym. What’s going on?” Lance could hear movement and Red’s excited barking in the background.

“Nothing. Tell me about the jobs you applied to. Tell me about what you had for lunch. How’s Red?” _Anything. Just distract me._ Lance crouched next to a stone pillar just outside his building and tried to ignore how his heart was pounding uncomfortably against his ribs and how shaky his limbs felt.

“Are you alright? You sound weird.” Keith’s voice carried concern.

“I’m fine. Probably had too much coffee or something. Just talk to me.” Lance clenched a clammy palm.

Keith didn’t really understand but did what Lance asked. He started talking. Lance listened carefully, focusing on Keith’s every word while he told him about the jobs prospects he’d found, what Red had dug up at the dog park that morning, how her tail had wagged so hard her whole butt wiggled, and some funny thing he saw online but didn’t explain well enough for Lance to get the joke. Lance didn’t care though. He gradually felt the tightness knotting in his chest unwind. The tension dropped from his shoulders and his jaw, that he didn’t even realize he was clenching, relaxed, soothed by Keith’s voice. Lance smiled into his phone. His sweet, sweet boyfriend had no idea what he was doing for him.

“And then at the gym Shiro showed me this new- Oh, uh… maybe you don’t want to hear about that.” Keith paused.

“Nah, it’s fine.” Lance chuckled. They were in a good place again. Shiro seemed like less of a threat. He let Keith continue explaining some fighting technique that he didn’t really understand but loved the enthusiasm with which Keith spoke. 

“You’re the best, Keith,” Lance said when there was a lull in their conversation. There was silence but for a happy puff of air on the other end.

“I’m glad things are better,” Keith said shyly.

“Me too, babe,” Lance felt a warm feeling swelling in his chest. “And don’t worry about Shiro. We can talk about how we’re gonna do this thing with him when I get home.”

“Yeah? You sure?” Keith still sounded nervous.

“Yeah,” Lance laughed. “I’m sure.”

Lance went back inside feeling better for the most part but shook his head, mildly irritated with himself for getting so spooked by a silly spam text. There were much better things to be thinking about than stupid mistakes from his past. Lance grinned with intrigue and felt his mood perking up. Like how they were going to finally bang Shiro.

 

 

 

“Okay, so if we’re gonna do this,” Keith looked at Lance carefully from across their living room table. “You gotta tell me what you’re not okay with.” 

Lance let a slow exhale pass between his lips and slouched in his seat. “Okay,” he agreed, still a bit on edge. He’d gotten a few more spam texts from the restricted number that afternoon. They hadn’t caused him to panic like with the first one had, but he still felt rather drained from it. It wasn’t exactly the best set of circumstances to enter into a serious conversation, but he pushed through, shifting his mind to the topic at hand. 

“You can’t kiss him.” Lance blurted out the first rule with a pained face, recalling their last encounter with Shiro. “And I don’t just mean no tongue. Your lips can’t even touch.”

“Got it, no kissing.” Keith nodded in agreement. He already figured that was the case but was glad Lance was able to vocalize it. It was important that he felt comfortable setting boundaries.

“It’s just too intimate and I don’t want-”

“Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself.” Keith gently brushed Lance’s hand. “If you’re not comfortable with it, then we won’t do it.”

“I don’t really want him fucking you either...” Lance whined almost apologetically.

“Okay. No kissing, no penetration.” Keith added it to a mental list. 

“To be honest, I don’t really know how I feel about him touching you at all...”

Keith’s lip twitched downwards watching Lance sink lower in his chair, hugging himself. “Maybe we should just not do this...” He suggested.

“No, no, we can make this work,” Lance insisted, sitting up straighter and twisting his face like he was trying to solve a particularly hard math problem. “We just gotta figure it out.”

“Lance, I can tell you’re not comfortable.” Keith felt himself getting frustrated. He needed his boyfriend to say so if he wasn’t okay with it or they were going to have a repeat of last time. He paused a moment to think. “Do you wanna just have sex with him and I’ll watch?” 

Lance recoiled with a high-pitched shriek.

“Haa- You’d- You’d let me-” He gaped at Keith, choking on the rest of his words. His eyebrows shot up and his face turned a dark shade of red just thinking about it. He quickly shook his head at that entirely overwhelming thought. There was no way he could take on Shiro alone. “No, I definitely want you involved…” Lance’s brow creased thoughtfully. “You can do stuff to him, just…” He waved his hands like he was trying to procure the right words. “Maybe not him to you? I don’t know...”

“ _Stuff_ ,” Keith repeated. “So like, you’re okay with me sucking him off, for example?” Keith phrased it at crudely as possible to test the waters, not believing for a second that Lance was as okay with it as he claimed. Lance cringed, immediately confirming Keith’s suspicions. His fists tightened reflexively, and he twisted in this seat.

“Got it, no oral.” Keith said, envisioning another night of just watching Netflix with Shiro, which really wasn’t a bad alternative. They could all just hang out on the couch together.

“No, wait. I guess that’s okay,” Lance conceded once his knee-jerk reaction had subsided.

Keith narrowed his eyes and scrutinized his boyfriend carefully, worried he wasn’t being entirely honest. “Let’s call it a soft no on the oral.”

“What the heck is a soft no?”

“There’s soft noes and hard noes. Hard is non-negotiable, but soft is like when you think you mean no, but it might change to a yes, um, sometimes...” Keith tried his best to explain. 

Lance peered at him skeptically. “Doesn’t no always mean no?”

“Well, yeah, of course. That’s not what I’m- ugh,” Keith fretted. He wasn’t explaining it as well as Shiro had. “I guess it’s more like conditional? If the situation is right?” 

Lance still didn’t look convinced.

“It’s how you feel about eating my ass.” Keith offered the best example he could think of.

Lance made an affronted face. “Uh… Something I’ll never admit to doing except for that one time?”

 _Only one time, really?_ Keith thought but let it go. “More like something you’re not sure you wanna do, but then, in the moment...” Keith flicked his eyebrows smugly, making Lance blush furiously.

Lance cleared his throat. “Yeah okay, soft no to oral. And definitely no to... other kinds of oral.” He shuddered with embarrassment.

“Scared of a little ass eating, so very hetero,” Keith snarked. 

Lance glowered at him, frustrated breath laboring in his throat. The last thing Lance wanted to do was spark another argument, but his patience was already running on fumes because of the text message scare earlier that day. And frankly, enough was enough.

“Okay, what about-” 

“You know what? Cut that shit out, Keith!” Lance stood up and stormed across the room. 

“Huh?” His boyfriend looked up at him in surprise, having no idea what he’d done.

“I’m bi, okay!” Lance said, whipping around to face him. “Not straight. Not hetero. Not exclusively into girls. _BI._ So quit calling me that! Hard no on the bi erasure!” He turned away with folded arms and jutted his lower lip out.

“O- Okay…” Keith said quietly, looking rather rattled. “I- I didn’t know it bothered you…”

“It kinda does!” Lance flailed his arms outward. “It’s like I’ll never be good enough if I’m not one of the other. Like I’m not gay enough for you or something!”

Keith internally panicked. “Hey…” His voice came out shaky. “I- I didn’t say tha-”

“You ever wonder why I hid it for so long?” Lance shouted over him. “You don’t know half the stupid shit I did because I couldn’t be out!” He stopped to take a breath and regain control of himself, once again shoving the unpleasant memories the stray text message had stirred up out of his mind. 

Keith got very quiet and hugged his elbows. His chest heaved like he was fighting not to cry. Lance fought the urge to run to him and apologize. It wasn’t his place to say sorry this time. Keith stared into the table, frozen with panic. Lance looked away too. 

And there was the awkward silence again. Lance almost regretted that he’d said anything. It felt like he’d just undone all their progress. And after they’d been doing so well too... Lance leaned against the countertop separating the small kitchen from the living room, waiting.

“Well, are you gonna apologize?” He huffed.

“Shit! Sorry, yes!” Keith shot out of his chair, snapped from his paralysis by Lance’s prompting. He stopped a few feet before his pouting boyfriend. “God, I’m sorry, Lance.” He held out his hands then dropped them helplessly. He’d been making that joke forever without realizing he was being insensitive. He’d never felt more terrible. “I thought I was just teasing you. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Keith’s voice was soft and sincere, but Lance still gave him a cold side-eye and held his pout. Keith didn’t know what to do. His usual tactic was to stay quiet and avoid the issue until it had blown over, but their relationship still felt too fragile for that. It required action. He looked down and twiddled his fingers nervously. As terrifying as it was, this time Keith tried saying what he was thinking.

“It used to be my biggest fear, you know...” He finally spoke, voice on the edge of breaking.

“What, that I was some heterosexual fuckboy?” Lance snarked, unamused.

“No… That you could _never_ be attracted to me. That it was biologically impossible for you to ever-” Keith pinched his lips together and looked away. “I just saw you so many times… go off with some girl right in front of me. I’m still scared that one day you’re gonna-” Keith looked up at Lance with fearful eyes. “...leave.”

Lance’s face softened as his anger dampened. If there was one thing he understood, it was that old fears and deeply-rooted insecurities died hard. He stepped forward and pulled his boyfriend in by the hips.

“Well first of all, that’s never gonna happen. And second, my bisexual ass is all about Kogane booty,” he grinned and slid his hands around Keith’s hips and over his butt. “Ugh, I am so attracted to you, babe. You don’t even know!” He pressed his face close to Keith’s and dug his fingers into his boyfriend’s behind. “I swear I’ll eat your ass off this counter right now if you need me to prove it,” Lance growled low into Keith’s ear.

His boyfriend managed a breathy laugh but still looked worried. “I know it’s stupid...”

“Nah, it’s not stupid. I just didn't know you were an option back then or it would have been different.” Lance gently touched his face. “Believe me, it would have.”

“But what if there are some things I can never do for you? And…” Keith grit his teeth at another fear that sometimes kept him up at night. Something he prayed would never dawn on Lance. Something he almost didn’t want to say in case it led to that. “It’d be easier. It’d be easier for you to be with a girl. People notice us. They point and stare. We’re always gonna be a spectacle. Marriage, kids, all that shit you want…” Keith felt himself getting choked up. “It’d be a lot easier.”

“Pfff, I know that,” Lance snorted out a laugh. “But I’m still with you.” 

Keith sighed and hung his head, afraid of one more damning thing that kicked cruelly around in his mind. “Your family…” The people Lance cared about most. “They’d be a lot happier too…” He added quietly.

Lance shook his head and quickly pulled Keith’s chin back up. “Nuh-uh. They don’t get a say in this. Besides, they like you!”

“Your dad does not like me.” Keith gave him a fearful look, recalling a very tense Skype call with Lance’s parents the previous Christmas.

Lance cracked a grin and waved his hand. “Whatever, he can get over himself. I love you, Keith and I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks,” Lance said kindly, brushing a lock of hair back behind Keith’s ear then holding his face. Keith sniffed and looked shyly up at his boyfriend. “Just get my sexuality right, please,” Lance laughed weakly.

“Ugh, Lance... I’m sorry about that,” Keith whispered, leaning against the man in front of him. “I’m pretty bad at this relationship stuff. I keep fucking up.” 

“Nah, you’re just learning.” Lance rubbed his back encouragingly. “I am your first boyfriend, after all,” he added rather smugly.

“Learning sucks,” Keith mumbled into Lance’s neck, wrapping his arms around him and holding on tight. “But hey, you gotta tell me sooner if something upsets you. I don’t always pick up on it.”

Lance smiled and leaned in for a kiss. “I’ll try to be better about that,” he said against his boyfriend’s lips after.

Keith pulled back to look carefully at the man in his arms. “So let me ask you again, and be honest with me. Are you _sure_ you want to do this thing with Shiro?”

Lance took a moment, returning Keith’s thoughtful gaze. “I’ll admit I have some concerns, but yeah… I actually really do.” A grin broke across his face. Some of Keith’s nervousness abated hearing that.

“God, he’s so hot, Keith...” Lance whined, seeking comfort by falling against his boyfriend. “Like, it’s not fair. How did one guy get so lucky!” 

Keith smiled to himself and patted the back of Lance’s head, thinking his silly boyfriend needed to take a look in the mirror. “You know, from where I’m standing, my boyfriend, my _bisexual_ boyfriend,” he leaned back to emphasize with eye contact, “got pretty lucky too.”

“Aw, babe…” Lance’s voice pitched higher and he squeezed Keith so tight he could barely breath. Keith smiled happily and hugged him back.

 

 

 

They arranged for Shiro to come over that weekend, and the day arrived sooner than expected.

“You okay?” Keith asked watching Lance fidget as Shiro approached their door. 

“I guess you could say I’m nervous... ” Lance said through a strained smile.

“Don’t be. It’s just Shiro.” Keith tried to help.

 _Just Shiro…_ Lance looked at him like he was crazy.

“Hey, Netflix is always an option.” Keith reminded him just before Lance opened the door to let Shiro in. He really hoped things would go smoother this time, but Lance had him worried.

They exchanged pleasantries and made an appropriate amount of small-talk over some drinks. Lance’s leg bounced under the table the whole time. Keith finally put a hand on his knee and gave him a soft look to settle him.

“So you guys talked this time, right?” Shiro asked carefully midway through their beers. The other two men nodded. They had talked to death what Shiro could and couldn’t do to Keith. Lance proceeded to rattle off a list of what was not okay with regards to his boyfriend. Definitely no kissing, and Lance wasn’t sure he was okay with Shiro making Keith come in any capacity. Maybe in the future, but not yet. Shiro listened and nodded. 

“Sounds like it’s best if I just limit contact with Keith for now,” he said with a warm smile. 

“What about Lance?” Shiro asked. “What are you guys comfortable with there?” He looked between them.

Keith and Lance stared at each other. They’d somehow forgotten to talk about that.

“I’m fine with whatever,” Keith shrugged. Lance was a bit hurt by his indifference. He would have appreciated at least a hint of jealousy.

“Me too, I guess…” Lance said. Shiro eyed him suspiciously.

“Lance, you gotta speak up if you’re not okay with something.” He gripped Lance’s shoulder and made direct eye contact. “Even if you’ve agreed to it before. Things can change in the moment and that’s okay.”

Lance shifted. “I guess it just seems a little unfair if I can do anything but Keith can’t...”

Shiro shook his head. “It’s not about what’s fair, it’s about what your partner is comfortable with. Don’t feel guilty about it.”

Lance considered Shiro’s words. That was certainly a different way to frame it, and he had to admit, it did make him feel a bit better. 

“And just remember,” Shiro continued. “There might be moments where it feels like a twosome. I know it spooked you last time, but the boundaries we’ve set should help with that.” Keith watched Lance nervously as Shiro spoke.

Lance nodded thoughtfully. “So how are we gonna do this,” He asked, trying to work it out for himself as he spoke. “I mean, someone has to be the one getting fucked and it can’t be Keith so… oh... OH!” He looked up at Shiro as the realization dawned on him. The room felt rather hot all of a sudden.

“Nobody’s fucking anybody today,” Shiro laughed and slapped Lance on the back then drained the rest of his beer. “Let’s just play and see how things go.” Lance nearly choked on his drink at the word ‘play’. Keith smirked at him, saying ‘I saw that’ with his eyes. Lance shot him a look that said ‘shut up’ back.

 

They moved into the bedroom. Lance couldn’t help but feel it was very awkward. The frankness of the previous conversation had taken a lot of the sexiness out of it, and the experience of last time loomed over him too. He hung back as Shiro and Keith took each other’s shirts off, not quite into it yet, but it did give him a pretty good view. He felt his face heat up when Shiro turned to him next and started lifting his shirt up. The world went dark for a moment as the shirt pulled over his head. Once it was off, a half-naked Shiro and Keith were smiling at him. A twinge of heat ignited in Lance’s groin. Maybe it was going to be okay after all. Shiro stepped closer and went for his neck. Lance’s eyes rolled shut with a soft exhale at the sensation.

 _God damn it…_ He still smelled good. Shiro’s lips came around his cheek, making him moan softly at the scratchiness of his mouth. Hot breath brushed against his lips, but Lance pulled back at the last possible moment.

“Uh… Keith, is this okay?” He asked.

“You’re fine, Lance,” Keith grinned and stroked the small of Lance’s back, trying to reassure him. He could tell his boyfriend was nervous. 

Lance felt Shiro’s nose nuzzling the side of his face. Heart rate climbing, he turned his head slightly and felt the man’s lips brush over his own in a teasing prelude to a kiss. Lance pulled back again in a moment of shyness then summoned what courage he could and boldly pushed his head forward, pressing his mouth firmly against Shiro’s. His nostrils flared with a sharp intake of air. He gasped after, dropping his mouth open and granting entry for Shiro’s tongue. Lance felt a bit unsteady on his feet, but he liked the way Shiro kissed. A thick arm slinked around his waist, pulling him closer into Shiro's side. Lance relaxed into it and didn’t hold back. A giddy feeling rose his chest. He'd wanted to kiss Shiro like that since he was fifteen. The inner Garrison kid in him was doing backflips while they made out. Though his hand hovered daringly for a moment, Lance wasn’t quite brave enough to touch Shiro’s chest. He let his fingers dance along Shiro’s ribs instead.

Keith watched them for a moment, happy to see Lance getting into it, then knelt on one knee and began picking at the top of Shiro’s pants. Shiro turned his hips slightly, giving him better access. Keith held his breath as he undid the button and peeled his pants back to reveal tight, black boxer briefs with the words 'Black Lion' branded in the waistband. His fingers flitted over the dark fabric, feeling something sizable beneath it. He bit his lip and looked up at the blissfully lip-locked pair again. Thinking his boyfriend might need a little help overcoming his shyness, he took his Lance’s hand and guided it down Shiro’s torso. Lower... Lower... The smirk on his face widening on his face as he went. Lance pulled back from Shiro’s lips and glanced down.

“Keith, wha-?” His eyes went wide as Keith pushed his hand into Shiro’s underwear. Lance gasped, realizing his fingers were brushing against Shiro’s cock. With a smug smile, Keith pressed Lance’s hand flat against it from outside Shiro’s boxer briefs, making his boyfriend’s face flush bright red and Shiro hum at the touch.

Lance’s wide eyes darted back to the face of the man he’d just been kissing. “Uhhh- Is- Is this okay?” His voice quaked with nerves. Shiro rested his forehead against the side Lance’s.

“Mmm… Keep going,” he whispered.

Lance closed his eyes and blew out an elongated breath as he slowly - very slowly - curled his fingers around Shiro cock. One of his eyebrows twitched upwards at the girth he was holding. 

“Holy shit, Shiro…” Lance mouthed a second later. Okay, so Shiro’s dick was thicker than his. Whatever. He wasn’t bothered by it. It was kind of hot... Lance began to slide his curled hand along Shiro’s length.

_Damn…_

_DAMN…_

“Okay. What the hell!” Lance yanked Shiro’s shorts down to get a better look. There was no way what he was feeling could possibly be-

Lance’s jaw dropped. Even Keith put a hand over his mouth and looked away mildly flustered. Shiro rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. 

“Ugh, you would,” Lance pouted at him. He put his face in his hands and groaned. Shiro’s dick was bigger than his because _of course it was._

“Lance, what’s wrong?” Keith was at his side, pulling his hands from his face by his wrists, worried. Lance turned into his boyfreind and groaned again. “What?” Keith stepped them aside and asked again more quietly so Shiro couldn’t hear.

“It's bigger than mine,” Lance pouted through a whisper. Keith couldn’t stop himself from snorting out a laugh.

“So? You're bigger than me too but that doesn’t stop me,” he whispered back.

“I know but…” Lance was extremely miffed. Why did Shiro win at everything?

“Shh. Come on, it’ll be fun,” Keith smiled encouragingly.

Lance sighed heavily and begrudgingly put his bruised ego aside. “Okay.”

Keith put his arm around Lance and guided him over to where Shiro stood patiently - and completely naked Lance couldn't help but notice - by the bed.

“Everything okay?” Shiro looked between them with concern.

“Yeah, sorry,” Lance answered and forcibly stop his eyes from drifting downwards. 

“Take your time. There’s no rush,” Shiro said, gently thumbing Lance’s face.

Lance gulped. Why did Shiro make him so nervous?

Just as Lance started to feel awkwardness falling over them again after the interrupted the flow, Keith stepped forward, pulling Lance with him and leaning into Shiro’s side with a playful giggle. Shiro grinned and wrapped his arms around both of them, slowly trailing his hands down their backs. Lance almost hated how good it felt. Keith took Lance’s hand again and guided it back to Shiro’s cock then wrapped his hand around the outside of Lance’s. They exchanged mischievous glances and turned their eyes to Shiro as they began moving their hands together. 

“Ah, you guys…” Shiro breathed, dropping his head slightly and parting his lips for a small gasp. They continued stroking him together, feeling him getting harder in their hands. Keith backed off, letting Lance takeover, then leaned close to his boyfriend’s ear. 

“Hey, I’m gonna go down on him, okay?” he whispered.

“Uh, okay...” Lance said with uncertainty. 

Keith maintained eye contact with Lance as he dropped to his knees then looked up at Shiro with a soft smile. The first pang of anxiety hit Lance square in the gut.

Keith gently pulled Lance’s hand off Shiro’s cock and kissed the back of it. ‘It’s okay’ he mouthed. Shiro, seeing he was nervous, rubbed the back of Lance’s neck. 

“You alright?” He asked.

Lance nodded and took a breath, keeping his unease in check.

Keith took Shiro into his mouth. His eyebrows pinched together and he let slip an audible moan, dragging his lips slowly over the length. Lance felt Shiro’s body jolt next to him. A second pang of anxiety hit.

“Keith…” Shiro whispered and curled his hand around the back of Keith’s head.

The third pang turned into a steadily rising tide of emotion, swallowing Lance’s senses as he looked frantically between Shiro and Keith’s faces, saw how their eyes were fixed on one another, saw how into it they both were. He just stood there, frozen, invisible, watching it happen again. Keith’s hand reached up and dragged down Shiro’s torso and Shiro’s hand chased after it. They didn’t need him there. Anxiety gripped Lance’s chest so tight he couldn’t breath. He shut his eyes, unable to watch.

_There’s gonna be moments where it feels like a twosome…_

He repeated Shiro’s advice, fighting the urge to run from the room.

_There’s gonna be moments where it feels like a twosome…_

He wanted to scream.

_There’s gonna be-_

Lance felt someone touch his hand. He opened his eyes to see Keith, still with the head of Shiro’s cock in his mouth, lapping away but looking up at him and squeezing his hand tightly, making circles with his thumb over the backs of his fingers. Lance grasped Keith’s hand back. He wasn’t forgotten. And just like that, it didn’t feel like a twosome anymore. Lance’s breath steadied as his anxiety subsided. He was back in it. 

Shiro blew a breath between his lips and threw his metal arm around Lance, shifting some of his weight onto him. “He’s good at this...”

“Yeah he is,” Lance smiled proudly, not letting go of Keith’s hand. Shiro’s head tilted in and they kissed again. It was sloppier this time and rougher too. Shiro broke away a lot with small gasps and groans in response to what Keith was doing to him but thrust his tongue back into Lance’s mouth harder every time. It made Lance feel better somehow, seeing cracks forming in Shiro’s composure.

Keith tugged on Lance’s hand to get his attention. When Lance looked down, Keith glanced from Shiro’s cock then back up at Lance and flicked his eyebrows in a moment of near-telepathic, non-verbal communication.

“You thinkin’ what I think you’re thinkin’?” Lance asked, raising one eyebrow.

“I think I am,” Keith smirked.

“All right, then.” Lance grinned.

Keith stood up, and they eyed Shiro with intrigue creeping across both their faces. Shiro blinked, not sure what they’d just agreed upon.

“Uh, guys?” Shiro asked nervously as they pushed him back onto the bed together.

“Don’t worry, Shiro. You’re gonna like this,” Keith grinned as Lance pried Shiro’s knees apart so both of them could fit between his legs.

Keith got them started, licking up one side of Shiro’s cock then swirling his tongue over the head with a breathy moan. Lance joined in, matching Keith’s movement but up the other side until their tongues crossed at the top. They made out momentarily before starting again at the base, lapping up Shiro’s cock together then licking and slurping over the head of it like they were sharing a lollipop. Keith heard a groan and cast a sideways glance at Shiro, who was laying back with his mouth hanging open, dumbfounded, chest heaving ever so slightly. Keith grinned to himself. Though it had started off a little bumpy, it was working. They were doing it.

They took turns giving Shiro head next, switching off before he could get too used to the feel of either one of them.

“Nnngggg. You guys really did talk,” Shiro panted breathlessly, brushing the white lock of hair back from his face while Keith's head bobbed between his legs.

“We actually didn’t plan this part,” Lance admitted with a sneaky grin then traded off as Keith came up for air.

“I guess you just inspired us,” Keith said, wiping his wet lips. He nipped at Shiro’s thigh before switching off again.

Lance watched Shiro as Keith took his turn, taking in the face that Takashi Shiro, _the_ Takashi Shiro, was in their bed… His skin was beginning to shine with a thin layer of sweat and the outlines of his abs appeared with each heavy breath. It was somehow much less nerve-wracking looking at him than before. Lance rolled his lips together and let a mischievous smile break across them, bolstered by a sudden surge of confidence. He was going to show the legendary Takashi Shiro what he could do. He tapped Keith’s shoulder. “I got this, babe.”

Keith pulled back with a gasp to let him take over. He kissed his boyfriend firmly on the cheek and breathily whispered “wreck him” in his ear, slapping Lance’s ass as he got out of the way.

“Yes, sir,” Lance smirked then wasted no time swallowing Shiro’s thick length in one fell swoop. He felt Shiro’s hips tighten in response. The man gasped and gave up a moan, but it wasn’t enough. Lance gripped the sides of Shiro’s ass, gaining leverage to get his cock further into his throat, determined to have Shiro crying his name before the night was out.

Keith crawled onto the bed and perched at Shiro’s side, watching his face twist as Lance worked. He grinned, knowing first-hand exactly what Shiro was experiencing at Lance’s deft tongue and vice-like lips. 

“He really knows what he’s doing, huh?” Keith spoke low near Shiro’s ear. Shiro's eyes drifted from Lance to Keith. “He’s gonna to take you in so deep that you’re gonna forget your own name.” Lance’s lips bobbed near the base, causing Shiro’s body to tighten and his eyes to roll back in his head.

“Wow, Lance…” He heaved, running his fingers haphazardly through Lance hair, stomach contracting involuntarily. Adrenaline shot through Lance’s veins hearing Shiro gasp his name like that. He reached for a bottle of lube he’d strategically placed on the floor earlier. Keith watched Lance slick his fingers and then saw them disappear between Shiro’s legs.

“This okay?” Lance pulled off to ask, sliding his fingers back along Shiro’s taint.

“Yeah,” Shiro nodded, gripping the pillow behind his head with his his eyes still closed. 

“He’s really good at this too,” Keith smirked, continuing to tease Shiro with his voice. Shiro slitted his eyes open to look at Keith and ran his hand along the side of Keith’s body. Lance carefully slipped his fingers into Shiro, searching for his prostate. Shiro’s eyes shot open with a moan when Lance found it. His fingers dug into Keith’s flesh. He writhed against the sheets. Desperate eyes flashed to Keith and then back to Lance who was swallowing his cock again.

“I bet you’re real close right now. Lance’s mouth is just too hot for you.” Keith leaned over Shiro and delicately traced the back of his fingers down his face. Shiro rolled into the touch and nibbled at one of Keith’s fingers. “But I don’t want you to come yet.” Keith pulled back. 

As if choreographed, the seal on Lance’s lips broke and his fingers uncrooked. His mouth slowly retracted off Shiro’s length. Shiro groaned in frustration, thighs falling further open. His body twitched around Lance’s fingers, his hips pushed upwards searching for his mouth, beckoning him to keep going.

“You want it, Shiro?” Keith giggled, watching Lance run the flat of his tongue along the underside of the head of his cock, knowing that as good as it felt, it wasn’t enough. Lance’s confident eyes were fixed on Shiro’s desperate face, waiting for Keith’s cue.

A barely audible curse escaped Shiro’s mouth. He looked at Keith with pleading eyes. “Yeah…”

“What was that?”

“Yeah! I want it!” Shiro groaned and pulled Keith closer and making his back arch at the touch.

“Well, get ready, Shiro,” Keith said, spreading his knees on the mattress in front of him and tearing open his own pants. Shiro stared at him wide-eyed as Keith started stroking himself. “‘Cause I’m gonna watch you,” Keith said, seeing Lance’s cheeks hollow once again. He grabbed Shiro’s square jaw with one hand and continued stroking himself with the other. “I’m gonna watch you come.” He turned Shiro’s face away with a harsh flick of his wrist. Shiro’s eyes fell shut momentarily then snapped back to Keith in awe. His hand roamed up Keith’s thigh, creeping dangerously closer to his cock. Keith batted it away when Shiro got too close.

“Finish him for me, Lance,” Keith panted. Shiro’s torso jerked up a second later when Lance brought back the heat. 

“Lance! Holy fu-” Shiro cried. His fingers dug into the side of Keith’s hip. His eyes darted between Lance’s head between his legs and Keith unwavering gaze. Keith threw his head back with a moan, getting close himself, then fixed his eyes on Shiro again. He fell breathless, watching Shiro's body tense and his eyes lose focus, knowing it was about to happen. Shiro’s chest filled with air and he froze like that for a moment, mouth hanging slack, a strangled groan laboring in the back of his throat as if in suspended animation. Suddenly his torso contracted, convulsing his body upwards, pulling his shoulders from the mattress as he came with a guttural sound and hissing air between his teeth. Lance pulled off a fraction of a second later, catching a white fleck on his upper lip. He touched his tongue to it momentarily, tasting the fruits of his labor, and kept his wrist moved fluidly, jerking Shiro through his orgasm, mesmerized by the gasping, writhing mess he’d turned his childhood hero into. Keith's wrist moved fiercely and he came quietly onto his own stomach watching the scene before him and barely remembering to breath. He grinned with satisfaction at how utterly spent Shiro looked as he fell back to the mattress in a daze. Keith stroked himself one more time with a soft gasp then bolted forward to kiss the rest of the salty droplet off Lance’s lips.

“You did so good. I’m so proud of you, baby,” Keith whispered clutching Lance’s cheeks in his hands before firmly kissing him again. Lance melted. Keith so rarely called him baby. 

Keith hastily wrestled his boyfriend’s pants to his ankles at the edge of the bed and dropped his head into his lap. Lance was barely ready for it and inhaled sharply. His eyes lidded and he gently touched Keith’s head, fully immersed in the feeling of his hot, wet mouth and still high on adrenaline. He jolted in surprise when Shiro’s thighs appeared on either side of him. He’d nearly forgotten the other man was there. A strong arm pulled him back against a sturdy, warm body. Lance’s heart jumped into his throat as rough stubble and soft lips grazed the side his neck.

“Well done, Lance,” an out-of-breath Shiro whispered against his neck, sounding genuinely impressed. 

_Oh my god…_ Lance internally squeaked. A metal hand rested lightly on his thigh while Shiro’s other snaked up his torso and across his chest. 

“You did real good,” Shiro said again, pulling him closer and returning his lips to Lance’s skin. Lance groaned low in his throat. Shiro’s approval and having both of their mouths on him at once was almost too much.

“You were amazing, Lance,” Keith pulled off him momentarily to say before plunging enthusiastically back down. Lance’s heart sang at the praise and his body melted. He reached behind himself and grasped at the back of Shiro’s head as his hips started to pulse into Keith’s mouth of their own accord. Shiro hooked his metal arm under Lance’s knee and pulled his leg up to make more room for Keith. Lance’s heart pounded wildly in his chest as Keith’s fingers trailed down the back of his thigh, making him groan and roll his head back against Shiro. Any more and it would have been completely overwhelming.

“Your turn now, Lance,” Shiro smiled. "Come for me. Come for us." He turned the young man’s head and kissed him. Lance moaned into Shiro’s mouth as his limbs started to shake. He broke away with an inarticulate moan right before he lost control. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t breath. He couldn’t even swear coherently. Gripping a handful of Keith's dark hair with a shaky first, Lance came wrapped in the arms of the man, the legend, _the_ Takashi Shiro himself, in a scene that even his wildest teenage fantasies couldn’t hold a candle to.

 

 

 

“Well, that went better than expected,” Lance said, face still a little flushed, after he shut the door behind Shiro.

“Yeah? You're... okay?” Keith asked nervously.

“I’m great! We are definitely doing that again!”

Keith relaxed with relief and grinned replaying some of the highlights in his head. “Oh my god, Lance. Did you see his face when he came?” He put his hands over his face and fell forward against Lance’s chest.

“Hell yeah, I did! And…” Lance's cheeks turned a flustered shade of pink. “I felt his ass twitching,” he muttered quietly.

Keith a hands over his mouth and wheezed. “Oh my god… Nice.”

“We did it, babe! We ménaged a Shiro!” Lance held out his hand for Keith to fist-bump.

“We did, but I don’t think you’re using that word correctly,” Keith laughed and pounded Lance’s waiting hand.

“Whatever,” Lance grinned and threw an arm around Keith. “We figured it out. We’re a good team.”

Keith smiled back softly. 

“Team Dirty Talk and Deepthroat. Hell yeah, DTD!” Lance waggled his eyebrows, gesturing at himself and Keith with finger guns. Keith’s face deadpanned. The spell was broken. 

“Ugh, why are you like this?” He shoved Lance away with a huff. 

“Hey, we each got our strengths, right? Keith? My dirty talkin’ dude? Hmm?” He nudged Keith with his elbow, trying to coax a smile out of him. 

Keith shook his head with a groan and headed to the kitchen where he pretended to rummage through the fridge. He didn’t want Lance to see the giant, proud grin on his face. His goofy boyfriend was right. They really were a good team.

  
 

  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance is a nervous boy! *hugs him*  
> The story isn't done, btw. This is just their *first* threesome. There will be more! And more angst too probably...
> 
> Things I wanted to do in this chapter:  
> Deal with Keith's biphobia - It's coming from a place of fear. What? Ignorance sometimes comes from a place of fear?? Shocking...
> 
> Gently remind everyone that Lotor exists. For absolutely no reason at all. *evil grin* If the text message part confused you, then you likely haven't read Please Get F*cked Responsibly. It suffices to say, Lance had a real bad experience with Lotor in that one. He's still scarred by it.
> 
> Make the conversations sound natural. There're a lot of references to other things and little bits of the story in the dialogue. Let me know if it's too hard to follow.
> 
> Lance has some internalized toxic masculinity. _Your dick size is not your self-worth, Lance!!_ I feel like a lot of guys, young ones especially, get kinda hung up on that. So uh... that's why I put that part in there...
> 
> Write some spicy shklance smut that was totally believable if somewhat clunky and maybe even a bit comedic but still hot in the end? Hopefully?? *cringes from behind my computer* Please let me know how I'm doing with that... 
> 
>  
> 
> Next chapter: **Where is the line?** \- Lance gets to touch Shiro's chest! There may or may not be motor boating... And we might tap into some Keith jealousy and some other things that I can't tell you yet. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	6. Where is the line?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter: horny gym moments, brewing angst, domestic fluff, SHANCE!, another threesome, and an ending that will have you saying wtf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I am both excited and terrified of what you're gonna think of this chapter... And if you manage to read it without curling into a ball and screaming at least once then color me impressed because I nearly died writing it.

  
 

Keith was in the midst of a training session with Shiro the weekend after their first successful threesome and was finding it only _slightly_ awkward. After all, he’d had Shiro’s dick in his mouth the last time they’d seen each other, a thought he had to keep shooing out of his brain while they worked out. That and watching Shiro blow a massive load thanks to Lance’s forgiving gag reflex. His eyes drifted to Shiro’s groin as his trainer set his grip and hung from a pull-up bar, shirt riding up just enough to make Keith’s eyebrow twitch. 

“Can you count for me?” Shiro asked. 

Keith pulled his eyes up and nodded then began counting out-loud as Shiro effortlessly performed pull-up after pull-up. Keith’s eyes drifted south again. Shiro had a nice cock. Keith absent-mindedly wondered what it would feel like if- 

_No! Stop that!_

He tore his eyes away and forced that thought out of mind too. The mounting awkwardness was made worse by the fact Shiro was acting no different than usual. Keith had expected a sly remark or a knowing smile or at least _something_ acknowledging that it had happened before they got started, but there’d been nothing of the sort. Shiro had gotten right down to business and handed him a jump rope to warm up with. They were well over halfway through their workout and Shiro hadn’t said one goddamn word about it. Keith appreciated that Shiro was being professional, but at the same time, he kind of wanted to talk about it and he sure as hell didn’t want to be the one to bring it up. It was driving him crazy. The gym was deserted; it wasn’t like anyone else would hear.

“...nineteen. Twenty.” Shiro counted in a strained voice then hopped off the bar and immediately turned to Keith. “You stopped counting at eight.” He almost managed to hide his smirk.

Keith muttered an apology and felt his face growing hot.

“Pay attention, okay?” Shiro patted the side of his face and let Keith take the bar. Keith blew a breath between his lips as he grabbed the bar and reset his grip a few times, getting the placement of his calluses just right. He jolted when Shiro laid a firm hand on his back to steady his swinging body. He shook it off and resolved to stay focused the rest of the workout.

They finished their hour with a particularly grueling kettlebell and burpee routine. At the end of it, they both dropped their kettlebells and lay panting and sweaty on the floor together.

“Nice workout,” Shiro breathed.

“Thanks,” Keith barely managed to gasp.

They rested in silence. The sound of their breath echoed off the gym’s high ceilings. Keith idly watched a ceiling fan drift in and out of focus while he recovered. 

“I didn’t expect Lance to be so shy,” Shiro remarked out of nowhere, pulling himself up to sitting and toweling off his face.

Keith rolled his head to the side to look at him. Was that the opening to talk about it? It was about time! But, he should have figured Shiro would wait to be off the clock first.

“Yeah, he’s only like that around you,” Keith heaved, more to himself than to Shiro. “It’s weird now that I think about it…” He panted, turning his eyes back to the whirling ceiling fan.

“Really?” Shiro sounded surprised.

“Well, he thinks pretty highly of you, so...” Keith smirked upon seeing a small but pleased smile pass over Shiro’s lips. His trainer lay back on the floor next to him, tucking his hands behind his head. They resumed resting in silence, letting their breathing slow.

“Maybe we should focus on Lance next time. He seemed to like that,” Shiro turned his head to grin at Keith as he said it.

“Next time, huh?” Keith said with a sideways glance and a quirk of his lips.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to imply-”

“Oh, no. Lance already said he’s definitely down to do it again.” Keith sat up cross legged. Shiro copied him, curling his body forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

“What about you?” Shiro asked after a pause. The was a vague hint of self-consciousness in his voice and something about his hunched-over posture that caught Keith off-guard. “Do you want to do it again?”

Keith thought it was a given and was surprised to see Shiro looking so unsure. His trainer’s searching eyes on him, Keith felt his face flushing.

“Uh… I mean, yeah,” he muttered quietly, breaking Shiro’s gaze. Shiro smiled and lay a hand on the back of his neck. Keith closed his eyes and enjoyed the strong fingers kneading his tired muscles. “So what are we gonna do to my poor, unsuspecting boyfriend?” He asked, lips curving into a coy smile.

“I have a few ideas,” Shiro grinned back at him.

 

 

After depositing Keith at the gym, Lance waited for Allura at the mall. He’d left Red at home that day as there was a newly-opened Korean makeup store they were both interested in visiting. Lance was itching to get his hands on some of the face masks he’d seen online, the ones with animal faces on them. He had whimsical visions of looking like a cute dog for Keith, and they were also supposedly pretty good for your skin.

Allura was running late, so Lance wandered the mall and wasted no time in trekking to his favorite storefront window. His pace slowed as he approached it, worried it might not be there anymore, that someone else had already bought it. He drew in an apprehensive breath as the display case came into view, then happily released it. There it was, still waiting for him. He stopped in front of the window, admiring the ring. Every week it went unsold made him believe more and more that it was really meant for him. 

_That’s it. That’s Keith’s ring._ He thought with a smile.

His phone buzzed in his hand, distracting him. Thinking it might be Allura, he checked it without hesitation and stiffened upon seeing ‘Restricted’ show up in the notifications, but it was just more spam. Lance rolled his eyes. He really needed to figure out how to get off whatever list his number had ended up on. He’d been getting messages like that all week and was starting to wonder how many minor cardiac events it took to trigger a major one. 

_You haven’t heard from him in over a year._ Lance kept reminding himself. Surely that was long enough to assume it had stopped. That he was finally done.

He brought his eyes back to Keith’s ring with a sigh. He wanted to be daydreaming about putting that ring on his boyfriend’s finger, not fretting over long-gone ghosts from his past. There had to be a way to convince himself that that man was out of his life forever.

“Lance!” A voice called. Lance turned to see Allura walking hurriedly towards him, two cups of coffee in hand.

“There you are! Sorry I’m late!” She was wearing the floppy hat they’d bought on their last outing and a fashionable sundress. “Here. For my tardiness,” she smiled and handed him a cup. Lance gave a small smile back and took the offering. “What are you looking at? Oooh, something shiny?” She peered in the window.

“Ah- Nothing.” Lance quickly steered her away from the jewelry store. “I was just waiting for you.”

Lance stared at the cobblestone pavement lost in thought while they walked towards the makeup store. Allura made several attempts to start a conversation, but Lance didn’t respond with more than an occasional grunt to acknowledge he was listening, which he wasn’t. His brain was still hung up on the worry that a certain shadowy figure from his past might make a reappearance one day.

“Hey Allura, have you ever had a stalker?” He asked out of the blue as they neared the beauty store.

“A stalker?” She looked at him alarmed.

“Well, not a stalker,” Lance backpedaled. “Maybe just a particularly persistent guy that won’t leave you alone.” He continued to stare into the pavement like he wasn’t saying his thoughts out loud. "How do you know when they’re finally gone?

Allura blinked at him totally caught off guard. “I’ve had my fair share of persistent gentlemen but, I- I’m afraid I don’t know how to answer that…”

Lance hummed thoughtfully. Neither did he.

“Lance, is everything alright?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, I’m good. Just something I read online earlier, got me thinking.” He waved it off hoping she’d believe it was a purely hypothetical question. He shoved the past out of his mind as they reached their destination and walked under the grand opening banner that hung across the shop’s doors. 

“Whoa, this place is huge!” Lance marveled, looking around at the various arrangements of beauty products and displays, most of which were adorned with celebratory balloons for the store’s opening. “Oh, they have the face masks! Yes!” He grabbed several of the packets off one of the displays. “Look this one's a panda!” He held the packaging next to his face for Allura to see. “Think Keith will think it's cute?”

Allura still looked at him with a trace of concern.

“I’m fine. Stop looking at me like that,” Lance insisted. “Hey, don’t tell Keith I sometimes wear concealer, okay?” He joked and elbowed his friend in the side in an effort to lighten the mood.

“What? You mean he really doesn't know?” She laughed.

Lance shrugged. “I have so many products in the bathroom. Plus, I don’t think he knows the difference between an exfoliator and hair gel,” he laughed. He watched Allura’s eyes wrinkle as she snickered too. Her makeup was as on point as ever. How did she get such symmetrical wings? Lance wondered if she was the one who had taught Shiro how to do it. Or maybe they were both just naturally gifted with a steady hand and a knack for makeup. But Shiro only had one hand, so how the hell was that even possible? Was she the one behind his perfect eyeliner every time he had a shift at a club? Lance had a vision of Shiro sitting on the toilet while Allura carefully painted his eyelids.

_Man, that’d be a cute scene to see..._

He was about to ask, but suddenly bit his tongue. It occurred to him that he didn’t know how much Allura knew about what he and Keith had been up to with her boyfriend. It might be weird bringing him up. It also occurred to him that Shiro might have relayed their particularly embarrassing first attempt to her. Had Shiro complained about them? Did she know how poorly they’d handled themselves? Had he told her how nervous they’d been or revealed other embarrassing details about... Oh god, did Allura know how big his dick was or how good he was at giving head? Though, to be honest, he was kind of proud of that last one. Still, it was uncomfortable to think about.

“Hey, um, you and Shiro are open right?” Lance started carefully as they perused the brightly lit display of foundations and concealers.

“We are. But there are limits,” she added pointedly, eying him suspiciously. Lance felt bad, he wasn’t trying to hit on her.

“So you know he’s with other people...”

“Yes…” She glanced at him for a moment then quickly busied herself with a tester of dark concealer.

“So then, do you know…” Lance rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, not quite sure how to put it. How did you ask your friend if she knew you and your boyfriend were fooling around with her boyfriend anyway?

“I’m aware that Shiro was at your and Keith’s place last weekend,” Allura answered, seeming to understand what he was getting at. Lance’s knee-jerk reaction was to clench. She knew. Oh god, she knew! 

“And I don’t need to know any more than that,” she added flatly, putting up one hand. Relief washed over Lance. She knew but she didn’t _know_. Not all the details anyways. He heaved a sigh of relief. 

“Um, are you okay with it? I just realized we never asked you about that.”

Allura chuckled. “Of course. Shiro and I talked about it first.” She smiled warmly. “And while we usually don’t get involved with people in our social circles, for you two an exception was made,” she explained with a wink. “Given that certain long-standing feelings were involved and all...”

Lance’s face dropped and he felt a chill pass over him. “Wait, what long-standing feelings?”

Allura looked like a deer caught in the headlights and fumbled with the tube in her hand. “Oh, um… That’s not really my place to-”

“Is he in love with Keith?” Lance blurted out. “‘Cause, Allura, there’s this way that he looks at him, and maybe I’m just being crazy-” He cut himself off seeing how uncomfortable Allura looked. It was an unfair question. She was barely involved, but the tightness gripping his chest and accelerating his heart rate had hampered his judgement. “Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

Allura did her best to smile. “That wasn’t what I was implying. I just know there’s been... _attractions_ for some time.”

“Between Shiro and Keith...” Lance pouted at the fact he was already well aware of.

“Between _all_ of you.” She took Lance by the arms and gave him an encouraging smile. “Shiro’s really been looking forward to this. He’s downright giddy over you two!” Lance stared at her, not quite sure he believed it. Allura turned back to the collection of concealers and sighed. “Ugh, this is most disappointing. Let’s try another store. They don’t have my colors here.”

“Yeah, mine either,” Lance agreed, letting the previous topic pass. He followed after his friend, still digesting her words. Giddy? Over both of them? That was crazy. What could Shiro possibly see in him? The paranoia that there was something more between Shiro and Keith was bubbling up again just as he got another text message.

 _Please not more spam…_ Lance begged the omnipotent beings of the universe that might be listening. Thankfully, it was from his boyfriend.

 

Keith: Shiro’s coming over tomorrow night

 

Lance’s mind shifted from one stressor to the other abruptly enough to give himself emotional whiplash.

_Great. Just fucking great._

He snatched another couple face masks off a shelf and sulked to the register.

 

 

 

Keith came back from walking Red later that night and was surprised to find Lance doing situps in the living room.

“Hey, babe! Working on my Shiro abs,” Lance greeted him with a joke and grunted through another couple reps.

Keith took the chocolate lab's leash off and gave her a bone-shaped biscuit. She scuttled off into a corner to eat it as Keith crouched down to hold Lance’s toes.

“Hey.” He rested his chin on Lance’s knees. “I’m not gonna stop you, but you don’t have to do this for me.”

“I know but- Shiro’s just- so ripped-” Lance huffed out the words between sit-ups. “I feel like I gotta- step up my game- before he comes over.”

Keith had to stifle a laugh at how obvious it was that Lance wanted to impress Shiro. “Is that why you’re so nervous around him?”

Lance groaned and let his body go limp the next time his back hit the floor, disappointed it was so obvious. “I mean it’s not just that… He’s so good at everything. It’s hard to stand next to him, ya know?”

“Lance…” Keith looked at him sympathetically. “Come on, he’s far from perfect.”

“Name one flaw he has, Keith. ONE!”

“Parental tendencies, unsolicited advice that's frustratingly usually right, he can’t cook for shit, bad puns-” Keith answered immediately and could have continued if his boyfriend hadn’t cut him off.

“Hey! I make bad puns!” Lance shrieked in protest.

Keith chuckled. “Relax Lance, you’re kinda putting him on a pedestal. He’s just a guy.”

Lance propped himself up on his elbows and looked at Keith like he was crazy.

“Just a guy… Uh, just a guy who survived being held hostage and tortured by the Galra yet was somehow still level-headed enough to help negotiate his own release. Just a guy who was and still is a freaking legend at the Garrison. Just a guy that can probably lift me over his head with his bad arm! Just a guy who is not only built as fuck despite a missing limb but who also turned his misfortune into a successful business and helps other amputees maintain their fitness! He’s a saint, Keith! What did that article call him? The one-armed wonder man? The survivor? Shiro the hero? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but he’s basically a superhero! _With a huge dick!_ ” Lance collapsed hopelessly back to the floor and covered his face with his hands. “It’s a lot to compete with...”

“Stop. It’s not a competition.” Keith shook Lance’s knees. “I don’t need you to change. I don’t need you to be more like Shiro.” 

“God, the contrast you must see when we're next to each other…”

Keith frowned as his insecure boyfriend. “You know what I see?” He rested his cheek against Lance’s kneecap and traced his fingers along his boyfriend’s thigh. A soft smile replaced his frown. “I see a responsible adult who make me want to grow the hell up and get my life together. I see a caring uncle, a loyal son, a reliable friend who would do anything for the people he cares about, and a good dad to our chubby puppy. Maybe too good a dad - you kind of spoil her.” His voice quaked with a laugh. “But most of all, I see the man I love exactly how he is. And he doesn’t need to change.”

Lance blinked at him, rather taken aback. “Shit… Now I’m scared to ask what you see in Shiro,” he joked bashfully.

“I’m not looking at Shiro, Lance.” Keith smiled at him.

There was something about the way Keith was looking at him that triggered a surge of emotion inside Lance, and he knew. He just _knew_. If he’d bought the ring already he'd have pulled it out and proposed on the spot, right there on the living room floor. It wasn’t at all the overblown romantic scene he’d been picturing, but it would have been perfect. Lance had never felt more certain in his life. His lips slowly broke into a smile he couldn’t have hid if he tried.

“Did I just hear you say you love me in that little speech?”

Keith grinned. “Yeah, Lance. I love you.”

Lance put his hands behind his head, tightened his core, and pulled himself up to bring their lips together. “Say it again.” He said and fell back to the floor. 

“I love you,” Keith giggled. 

Lance did another sit-up and kissed Keith at the top. “Again.”

“I love you.”

Lance jerked his body up once more. This time his hands found the sides of Keith’s face too and he slowly pulled his boyfriend back to the floor with him, shifting his knees so Keith’s body lay flush on top of his.

 _Yep, I’m gonna marry this guy._ Lance thought to himself, drawing his hand along the side of Keith’s body and pulling him in closer. _If he’ll have me..._

It wasn’t long before Red wandered over to see what all the fuss was about and began licking their faces, excitedly wagging her tail.

“Ah! Ah, jeez,” Lance giggled with Keith as they gently pushed their dog away, remembering why they couldn’t make out on the floor anymore.

 

 

 

Lance spent most of the next day keeping his nerves in check and talking himself down in preparation for Shiro coming over. Between the phantom text messages that week and his seesawing feelings about Shiro, he was nervous wreck. But it had been fun the last time. _Really fun._ He was being needlessly paranoid. Keith loved him; he wasn’t worried about that. Shiro though… Shiro was still a bit of a question mark, especially after what Allura had said. 

Shiro... Takashi Shirogane and his ever-increasing list of enviable adjectives. That guy really rattled his nerves. Lance had never felt more self-conscious around a human being in his life. So it was great, just perfect really, that in exact moment while Keith was running late from a beer run, Lance was stuck alone in his living room with said nerve-rattling man himself. And he was failing miserably to make small talk. Shiro was sitting casually in a chair at the table idly looking at his phone while Lance sat hunched forward on the couch with his arms folded and one knee bouncing anxiously. 

“Keith should be back any minute.” Lance tried to fight off how awkward he felt.

Shiro shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal and smiled kindly. “You still nervous?”

“No,” Lance lied, annoyed that it was obvious. He sat up straighter and tried to confine his nervous energy to one wiggling foot.

_Hurry up, Keith… PLEASE…_

Lance swore he could feel his skin crawling. He could look at Shiro one moment and just see an ordinary guy, a friend he’d known for years, but then Shiro would do something like yawn or stretch his shoulders in just such a way that sent Lance’s mind spiraling and had his palms sweating. He could barely take his eyes off Shiro in that tank top. The man had cleavage, for Pete’s sake. Cleavage!

“Hey Shiro, I got a question for you.” Lance knew he talked too much when he was nervous, but couldn’t stop himself.

“Shoot,” Shiro replied, setting his phone down and giving Lance his full attention. Lance's tongue suddenly felt thick in his mouth.

 _Are you in love with Keith? Are you trying to break us up? Am I just a third wheel to you?_ No. He definitely couldn’t ask that. Lance realized he was staring at Shiro’s pecs again and not talking.

“How the hell do you get your chest like...” Lance flailed his hand awkwardly in Shiro’s general chest direction. “Like THAT.”

Shiro chuckled at the question. “Lots of pushups, bench press, cable flys...” He stretched his arms and casually flexed, making Lance’s mouth go dry. “And a lot of protein.” 

Lance watched Shiro’s tank top stretch with the firming of the flesh beneath it and grumbled, turned on but also a bit green with envy. He touched his own chest. Maybe if he started doing a few pushups every day… "Pushups, huh?" He got onto the floor and did a few reps. “Like this?”

Shiro stood up and watched him with a perplexed face. “Uh… Not exactly. Pull your elbows in more. They’re too wide- No, now they’re too narrow- Uh, not like that either.”

Lance’s elbows wobbled under Shiro’s direction searching for the right placement until he gave up and fell to the floor laughing. “Sorry Shiro, this isn’t really my thing...”

“You’re dating Keith, how can you not know how to do this?” Shiro asked, sounding genuinely confused.

“We don’t really train together. He’d kick my ass.” Lance attempted to get back in a pushup position and glanced at Shiro. “You wanna teach me?”

“Sure.” Shiro happily kneeled on the floor next to Lance. “Okay, straighten your back and tighten your core.” He ran his hand along Lance’s spine then tapped his belly. Lance’s body responded to the instructions. He bit his lip, trying to not go red in the face or erupt in a fit of nervous laughter. “Shoulders back. Good. Now elbows in-” Shiro gently guided his arms. “Now drop your weight. There! That looks…” Shiro cocked his head. Lance’s elbows still flared out. “...almost right. Did they really not teach you this at the Garrison?”

Lance let his weight fall back to the floor in a fit of giggles. Of course he knew how to do a pushup! Well, mostly… He needed minor form corrections at best, like the thing about his elbows, but poor Shiro trying so earnestly to help was just too freaking adorable to come clean. “I got out of PE a lot,” Lance explained with a laugh, which wasn’t totally a lie.

“What? How?” Shiro sounded vaguely annoyed.

“I was very charming.” Lance case a sideways grin up at Shiro.

“Okay, get up.” Shiro pulled Lance to his knees and squared their shoulders. “Push me.” 

“What?”

“Just do it.”

Shiro caught Lance’s elbows just as he pushed and used his strength to hold his arms in place.

“You see this angle?” He nodded at the relative placement of Lance’s elbows to his body. “It’s the angle where you’re the strongest. Imagine you’re actually pushing someone when you do pushups. That’s the position you want to use.”

Lance tried to listen as Shiro carried on explaining but only felt his face growing warmer. His hands were still hovering in mid-air where Shiro had stopped them, which happened to be directly over Shiro’s chest.

“Lance?”

“C-Can I, uh…” Lance didn’t know how to ask, but his line of sight told Shiro everything he needed to know.

“You wanna touch ‘em?” Shiro smirked.

Lanced nodded enthusiastically.

“Go ahead.”

Lance was immediately worried his palms were too sweaty. Or too hot. Or too cold. And that he was somehow going to fuck this up, but it was too late to pass on the opportunity now. He slowly moved his hands forward, sneaking a careful glance up at Shiro before laying his hands softly on Shiro’s dark tank top. Shiro flexed his pecs just as Lance’s hands touched down, making him jump backwards and tear his hands away with a startled yelp. Shiro laughed heartily.

“You jerk!” Lance gasped, feeling his heart pulsing in the back of his throat. “You’re gonna give me a heart attack!”

“Sorry, I won’t do it again.” Shiro shot him a mischievous half-smile that moved Lance no further away from cardiac arrest. Face flushed, Lance slowly raised his hands over Shiro’s chest again. He pulled back just before his palms connected, in case Shiro was going to pull that little stunt again. Shiro set a reassuring hand on Lance’s waist and nodded at him to do it.

Lance rested his hands on the muscular swells that distorted the shape of Shiro’s tank and nearly forgot to breathe while he did it. He shut his eyes and let out a low groan, sweeping his hands outwards and cupping the firm flesh. _Finally..._ Lance thought, feeling Shiro's warmth in his hands. 

“Make ‘em move again,” Lance whispered.

Shiro flexed twice in quick succession. Lance gasped as his fingers jumped and subsequently giggled. Shiro did him one better and alternated which side he bounced, making Lance’s mouth drop open and a goofy, astonished grin spread across his face. A hard nipple pressed into one of his palm. Lance shifted his hand so he could delicately brush a thumb over it. He watched Shiro’s face carefully as he did it. The man’s rib cage rose and fell with slow, deep breaths. Lance swallowed, heart in his throat, and kept his thumb moving in slow circles, feeling the nub beading with hardness. Shiro shut his eyes sighed softly. The hand at Lance’s waist tightened. Shiro kneaded his flesh as if telling him to keep going.

 _Holy crow…_ Lance mouthed under his breath, gazing with awe at Shiro’s affected expression. He was doing it. He was turning Shiro on.

Lance gently rolled the nipple between his thumb and forefinger and saw Shiro’s body jolt. In a flash, Shiro’s hand was at Lance’s back, pulling their bodies closer together. Lance’s breathing deepened. He wanted to just press his face right in there and- He stopped, realizing how aroused he was and the situation they were in and the glaring fact that _Keith wasn’t there_. They’d stumbled into a rather steamy situation without really trying to. He looked into Shiro’s face and realized where some of his concern about Shiro and his boyfriend came from. If Shiro made a move in that exact moment, say - Lance gulped - if Shiro tried to kiss him, he would have had a hard time stopping it. Which was bad but… It wasn’t like he’d ever leave Keith. Considering how much time Shiro and Keith spent alone together, Lance was actually impressed nothing had ever happened between them. But, he worried, what would happen if Shiro ever did try something? 

“Shiro...” Lance set his hands on Shiro’s chest in a less sexual way and pushed him back a few inches. “You’re not trying to steal Keith or anything like that, right?”

Shiro raised his eyebrows, surprised by the question. “No,” he said after a sincere pause and looked Lance directly in the eye. “He loves you, Lance.”

The corners of Lance’s mouth twitched upwards. “Does he- Does he talk about me?” Lance asked timidly.

“Oh, yeah. We talk about you a lot.” Shiro nodded reassuringly.

“Really?” Lance beamed.

“Give yourself more credit,” Shiro laughed and ruffled his hair. “Keith already knows this, but you guys are really good for each other. I’d never want to get in the way of that.” 

Lance smiled appreciatively at Shiro. He really was a good dude. He shouldn’t have doubted him.

There was a shuffling noise from the entryway and the sound of a key in the lock. Lance turned to look at the door just as Keith walked through it with a bag of groceries in one arm and a six pack hanging from the other. Keith’s eyes widened at what was going on in his living room. “Honey, I’m home,” he said mockingly, cocking an eyebrow at the placement of Lance’s hands. “I see you got started without me...” 

“No! He was just- Uh… Uhhhhh…” Lance froze, looking frantically between Keith and his hands that were still glued to Shiro’s chest. 

Luckily, Keith just shook his head and laughed. “He’s wanted to feel you up forever, Shiro,” he said, carrying the groceries to the kitchen. He dropped a bag on the counter and set about putting the perishables in the fridge.

“That so?” Shiro chuckled, eyeing Lance. Lance’s cheeks flushed red and he pulled his hands away with embarrassment. 

The room got very quiet as Keith finished putting the groceries away. He almost felt bad for killing the mood until he heard Lance’s familiar shriek and a subsequent burst of laughter. Keith turned to observe the ruckus going on in the living room and folded his arms at what he saw. Shiro had pulled Lance into a choke hold and was mussing up his hair. Keith raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend, who was giggling like an idiot. Lance never let _anyone_ mess up his hair. Keith’s lip twitched. There was a strange pang in his chest accompanied by an urge to stop them, but he was also pleased Lance was getting the attention he craved from Shiro. He’d been stressed out lately; it was good for him. Keith let their brazen, verging-on-juvenile flirting go on a few moments longer, then, just as it devolved into some pretty shameless wrestling that had Keith feeling a bit left-out, he grabbed the six pack and offered them both a drink.

 

They sat on the floor beers in hand, Keith with his arm around Lance and Shiro across from them. They chatted about nothing in particular, letting the alcohol settle and exchanging a mixture of charged, shy, and flirty glances. Keith took a long drag from his bottle then nodded at Shiro - the signal they’d discussed - that it was time to get started. Shiro subtly nodded back, a corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

Keith moved behind Lance, twisting his face to one side to kiss him. His boyfriend hummed softly into it, making Keith’s lips pull into a smile. He turned Lance’s face forward again, making sure he was looking at Shiro for what he was going to say next.

“Lance…” He whispered in his boyfriend’s ear, hugging him from behind with one arm and keeping his face pointed at Shiro with the other. “How would you feel…” He moved his fingers along Lance’s jawline and brushed his thumb over his bottom lip, pulling the pliant flesh down with the weight of it. “...about Shiro _fucking_ you?” 

“...w-what?” Keith felt Lance tense in his arms. He nipped at his boyfriend’s ear.

“You heard me,” he purred softly. “How would you feel…” Keith slid a hand under Lance’s shirt. “…about having him…” His fingers slowly zig-zagged up his body. “...inside you?” Keith’s fingertips pressed into Lance’s skin, grasping at him feverishly as he finished the question. Lance went very quiet with reddening cheeks and glanced nervously at Shiro, unsure if he could hear what was being said.

“D- Does he want that?” Lance stuttered in a whisper he hoped was soft enough that only Keith could hear.

“Oh, he wants it.” Keith’s gentle laugh tickled his ear as Shiro crept forward. The man confidently held terrifying eye contact with him as he hooked his fingers under the hem of Lance’s shirt. Smirking ever so slightly at Lance’s deepening scarlet hue, Shiro slowly dragged his fingers up Lance’s sides, pulling the light blue shirt with them. Lance shivered as Shiro’s fingers joined Keith’s kneading into his skin, the colder and less precise touch of his prosthetic apparent but no less enticing. Keith held the scrunched fabric up while Shiro dropped his head and chased his fingers with his lips, dragging them down Lance’s abdomen, licking and nipping unpredictably enough that Lance’s stomach sucked in with surprise every time. He moved downward, crossing from tan skin to denim, and mouthed over the swell in Lance’s pants.

 _Holy shit…_ Lance inwardly screamed. He couldn’t believe it. Shiro wanted him? It was almost too good to be true.

“And while he does that...” Keith paused to suck a trail of open-mouthed kisses down Lance’s neck. “...I want you to fuck me too.”

Lance’s dick jumped in his pants at the suggestion. His jaw dropped and a series of inarticulate noises came out of his mouth. “Will- will that even work?” He asked once he could form coherent thoughts again, trying to picture the angles in his mind.

“It’ll work,” Shiro assured him from his crotch. “We both want you, Lance,” he said, casting an extremely lewd look - that Lance was not at all expecting - upwards then set about unbuttoning Lance’s jeans. Seeing Shiro sprawled on the floor in front of him like that was wild enough, but hearing Shiro say he wanted him too? Lance was glad Keith was behind him to support his weight or else he might have fainted.

Pants undone, Shiro put his face back in Lance’s lap and traced his lips over the forming erection there. The heat from Shiro’s breath traveled through the thin layer of underwear prompting Lance’s knees to splay out further and his hips to push forward. He shuddered at the faint vibration as Shiro softly hummed. Despite having irrefutable evidence right in front of him, Lance still wasn’t quite able to believe what was happening. Shiro’s fingers pulled at the waistband of his underwear and reality suddenly caught up.

“Whoa- Wait, wait, wait. Wait a second guys.” Lance put a hand on Shiro’s shoulder for him to stop. He felt Keith tense behind him. They both looked at him with concern. “Look, I’m all for this, but we can’t do it here. See that sleeping beast in the corner?” He pointed at a snoozing Red. “Yeah, she’s gonna be all up in here the second she wakes up. And I don’t think that’s what any of us signed up for, so let’s maybe move it to the bedroom first? Also, that’s where the condoms and lube are, and Shiro, man, I’ve seen what you’re packing. We are _definitely_ gonna need those...” Shiro looked at him a moment then laughed and patted Lance’s thigh with endearment. Keith relaxed with relief too and hugged his sweet boyfriend, knowing Lance was prone to verbosity when he was nervous. 

Shiro got up first and helped Lance and then Keith too up. Lance left the living room led by Keith’s hand. He took a breath and hesitated just outside the bedroom, wondering if he was really ready for what he was walking into.

“Don’t worry, Lance. We’ll take it slow.” Shiro’s firm hand at his hip encouraged him forward.

 

Minutes later, Lance’s gasping breath filled the room. He sat naked on the edge of the bed, leaning back, angled against a kneeling Keith who was holding him from behind. Lance could feel Keith's body heat pressing against him. The other two men were down to only their underwear and Shiro had his head between Lance's legs, already two fingers deep in him. 

“Oh my god...” Lance hissed out a strained whisper, watching Shiro’s white tuft move rhythmically between his legs. If Lance was still uncertain about Shiro wanting him, the way the man was sucking his cock was doing a lot to mitigate his concerns.

Lance looked over his shoulder with a pained expression at Keith. Keith smiled back at him then looked down again, heavy breaths slipping between his lips at what he was seeing. Lance followed his Keith’s gaze to what was going on between his legs and used every ounce of restraint he had to not come in that very moment.

“Damn, Shiro…” Lance’s heels screwed into the floor. Shiro’s throat was deep and his mouth hot, but it was too much. Lance couldn’t take it. He pushed Shiro off with a shaky breath. “That feels amazing but… I’m not gonna last. And if you guys wanna...”

“Say no more.” Shiro pulled back, wiping his mouth with a grin. “I do need to stretch you out more before we try that though,” he said, eying the lube on the nightstand.

Lance gulped.

“But first…” Shiro looked at him with a sly grin, standing on his knees in front of them. He put a hand on the back of Lance’s head and pushed Lance’s face into his chest. Lance gasped with surprise and slowly brought his hands to Shiro’s pecs. With an elongated satisfied groan, he pushed them into either side of his face. 

“Moh mwy gwob... fheewo...” Lance’s muffled voice said. Keith bit his lip trying not to snicker and exchanged glances with Shiro, who actually looked like he was enjoying it. 

Lance pulled back to look up at Shiro. “Is this happening?” He cried with delight then smashed his face into Shiro’s cleavage again. What followed next was the most egregious motorboating noise Keith had ever heard. He cringed behind his fingers at his embarrassing boyfriend but let him have his moment.

Lance was too dizzy from the blowjob to care about potential embarrassments. He was in heaven. His hands quickly found Shiro's nipples, remembering how he had reacted in the living room. He made slow circles over them with his thumbs. Sliding his head to one side, he daringly gave one of them a firm flick with his tongue. Shiro flinched and let slip a moan. The sound catapulted Lance’s enthusiasm. He sucked harder; flicking, pinching, pressing. Shiro’s hand cupped his head and his fingers dug into his scalp. Lance gasped at Shiro's chest, eating up the man's every reaction. He was making Shiro want him even more.

Keith’s body pressed against his back. “Having fun?” His boyfriend’s amused voice asked. Lance hummed an enthusiastic response and felt Keith’s fingers sliding down his stomach. He groaned happily as Keith’s hand connected with his cock. These two men were going to be the death of him.

Eventually, Shiro pulled back flush-faced and kissed Lance hard. Pride swelled in Lance’s chest as he threw his arms over Shiro’s shoulders. If he could make Shiro kiss this frantically, then maybe this third man wasn’t the only sex god in the room. 

A hand tugged impatiently on his shoulder. Lance pulled back. Upon seeing the mildly disgruntled look on Keith’s face, he realized that his poor boyfriend had mostly been a spectator so far. 

“I’m sorry, babe. I haven’t paid much attention to you.” He turned and kissed his boyfriend, relishing the familiarity of Keith's lips as they slowly fell horizontally onto the bed together. Making out with Shiro was great, but this mouth had Lance’s heart. “How can I make it up to you?” 

“This one’s for you, Lance,” Keith looked at him happily but was still pleased to have Lance’s eyes on him again. “But... you know what I like,” he grinned suggestively.

“Roger that,” Lance smirked and shifted down Keith’s body. Lance knew he was good at giving head, but he _loved_ going down on Keith, loved how he could draw tiny gasps from him with the flick of his tongue just so, how he knew exactly what to do to have Keith’s hips shaking in seconds, the way Keith would gasp his name - “Lance…” He grinned to himself as he heard it. Oh yeah, this body was Lance's to rock.

Keith’s fingers dug into Lance's hair as he worked. Breath stuttering, his eyes lazily drifted up to Shiro, perched on the side of the bed watching them serenely. Shiro smiled and brushed the back of his fingers along Keith’s side softly. Keith could only return the smile for a brief moment before his cock hitting the back of Lance’s throat made his eyes roll back in his head.

"Nnn, Lance..." Lance took pride in hearing Keith moan his name again. His focus was broken momentarily by Shiro’s hands guiding his hips into position. Slick fingers moved between his cheeks and brushed gently over his hole, patterning slow circles. 

“Let’s get you ready.”

Lance pushed back into it, urging him on, then turned his focus back to Keith. Shiro’s fingers maintained their circling movement a few moments longer before pressing in. Lance moaned around Keith’s cock as Shiro’s fingers filled him again. Shiro continued the soft, rolling motion as his knuckles disappeared inside Lance.

“Oh my god...” Lance gasped desperately at Keith as he felt them pry apart and twist. His legs instantly felt like jelly.

“You okay?” Shiro asked. Lance groaned and nodded against Keith’s stomach. Shiro looked questioningly at Keith.

“He’s good,” Keith answered for his boyfriend and stroked his fingers soothingly through his Lance’s hair. Keith took a moment to take in the scene before him. Lance’s cheeks were flushed and sweat was beginning to bead along his brow. He moaned softly with face resting near Keith’s groin, back arched and ass up with Shiro’s metal hand holding his hips steady while his other acted as the source of Lance’s moans. Keith’s breath grew shallow. He had full a view of it. A full view of Shiro fucking Lance with his hand. His dick twitched. He had a sudden urge to yell for Lance to fuck him _now_ but knew better than to rush them.

“How many fingers is that?” Lance asked breathily.

“Three. Four and you’ll be alright.” Lance braced himself as the fourth finger went in. His knees shook against the mattress at the tightness. How were his legs not giving out? 

Shiro gave Lance’s ass a playful swat and backed off. “You guys start and I’ll jump in.” He tossed Lance a bottle of lube and snagged a condom off the nightstand.

Lance barely had the wherewithal to remember what he was doing.

_Right... Keith... Sex..._

That was less nerve wracking. He poured some lube on his fingers and spent some time getting Keith ready, surprised that his fingers still maintained some semblance of dexterity when his limbs felt about as useful as limp noodles. Lance managed to find his stride again as he focused on Keith. The familiarity of it was much less overwhelming. Kneeling, he pulled Keith’s hips towards him and tilted them up slightly, sticking to what he knew worked. He’d leave Shiro to worry about the angles. Taking in the entirety of their situation, Lance had a moment of appreciation for his boyfriend. He would never have had the guts to approach Shiro on his own even he if he’d known his relationship was an open one. He’d never have gotten to motorboat that incredible chest or feel the back of his throat or have gotten to see Shiro come if it weren’t for him. Keith had led him into the sexcapades Lance thought he'd only ever dream of. He felt like the luckiest guy on the planet.

“I love you, babe,” Lance whispered and kissed Keith softly before entering him. He broke their lips to sigh at the familiar heat surrounding him. Keith’s body never failed to make him melt. They fell into a steady, familiar rhythm, and Keith’s head rolled to one side with a moan. Lance watched him, heart and groin aching for the man beneath him.

The unmistakable squirting of a lube bottle followed by the smacking sound of it being liberally applied to latex jarred Lance from his moment with Keith. He felt a dip in the bed behind him as Shiro climbed onto it. Keith’s legs spread wide and he hooked his feet around Shiro’s waist as he approached.

 _Oh boy, here we go..._ Lance tried not to let his nerves betray him. He’d dreamed up some pretty wild fantasies in his day but this was something else. Strong hands steadied his hips and stubbled lips pressed against his neck. Shiro’s hand trailed up his side and then softly down his back, encouraging him to relax, telling him that it was okay.

“Ready?” He asked. Lance looked at Keith for reassurance then quietly breathed ‘yeah’. Knees set wide, Shiro lined up their hips. His cock slid between Lance’s cheeks and the tip pressing against him. Lance momentarily tensed. He could already feel how big it was.

“Shh, relax,” Shiro whispered, gently massaging Lance’s side. Lance moaned low in his throat and bent forward slightly, leaning his fists into the mattress on either side of Keith as Shiro pushed into him.

“Breathe, Lance,” Keith reminded him. He held on to Lance’s wrists and stroked his thumbs gently over his skin to pacify him.

Lance tried his best to listen to them as Shiro slid further into him. He curled further forward with a whimper. “Fuck… He’s so thick, Keith,” he whined shakily, body dangerously straddling the line between pain and pleasure. 

“You’re okay. You’re okay,” Keith whispered back, reaching up and holding Lance’s face. Keith watched Lance blush scarlet from the tips of his ears to the base of his neck. His mouth hung open and body jerked forward as Shiro began to move. Lance’s hips rocked into Keith with each of Shiro muted thrusts and Keith couldn’t help but groan at how unexpectedly good that felt.

Shiro pushed in deeper still.

“You’re doing so good, Lance.” He caressed his hand down Lance’s body while his prosthetic on rested firmly on his hip. “Last bit, okay?”

 _There’s more? Holy fuck…_ Lance thought but gave Shiro a thumbs up, staying hunched over Keith, elbows threatening to give out at any moment. He pounded a fist into the mattress with gritted teeth when at last Shiro’s hips hit his cheeks and stuttered through gasping breaths in the moments that followed as Shiro rocked there. Fully buried in Lance, Shiro let out a low groan of his own.

Just barely long enough for it, Keith managed to hook his legs around Shiro’s sides and pull his hips up to give Lance better leverage. Shiro held on to the underside of Keith’s his knees, cinching them all together, and then, he started moving. 

Their bodies jostled and bumped together awkwardly. It took them a moment to figure out how they should all be moving relative to one another. Lance’s face strained as they found a rhythm that kind of worked, and gradually, the uncomfortable edge vanished. The burning tightness gave way to a mounting pressure that threatened to send him over the edge. 

“Holy crow, Keith…” Lance choked out, looking at his boyfriend with warning, realizing he might not last long. 

“Nnn- yeah? Ah- good?” Keith grinned through a strained face of his own, struggling with words himself.

Lance couldn’t do more than nod. His mind was grappling to process the overflow of sensory information that was being bestowed on his body. Having Shiro behind and inside him while also being buried deep inside Keith... There was so much body heat Lance thought he might burn up. And there were too many, just too many limbs to comprehend. Lance didn’t have enough bandwidth left to figure out how he should be moving. He made tiny thrusts into Keith but mostly let Shiro drive until he was barely doing more than just shifting his hips to find the optimum angle. Shiro seemed to understand that the onus was on him and took the reins. The bed frame rattled against the wall as his powerhouse hips took charge.

The increased intensity had both Keith and Lance moaning.

“Ah! It’s so good-” Lance looked at Keith desperately then pinched his eyes shut, mouth dropping open with a silent scream. His arms finally gave out and he fell forward nearly bending Keith in two.

“Ah- Keith, we’re not crushing you, right?” Shiro gasped the question. Keith shook his head, unable to speak. They were crushing him all right, but not in the way Shiro meant. He could feel every one of Shiro’s thrusts echo through Lance and into him.

Lance moaned loudly and Keith’s body reacted to it. He fought to stay in control. “Damelo duro… Dame...lo du...ro… Mierda- Mier-” Phrases Keith didn’t understand started tumbling out of his boyfriend's mouth. It was driving him crazy watching Shiro make Lance lose his mind like that. His hand moved fast over himself, pushing his body steadily closer to the edge. Shiro held his pace and Keith stared in awe. Lance was _gone._ Heavy eyelids hung over his unfocused eyes, his jaw dangled slack, and unintelligible moans and wails slipped between his lips. Keith could tell Lance was fighting tooth and nail not to come, but his boyfriend wasn’t going to last much longer, and suddenly Keith realized, neither was he.

“Shit… Lance- Sh- Shi-ro-” Keith choked out before succumbing to the rising tide of desperation that was gripping his body. He clenched his feet around Shiro’s waist as his body involuntarily pulled tight. Keith caught his trainer's eye right as he came, the force of it pulling his shoulders up off the mattress. Gasping, he threw his head back against the bed and let his body convulse, riding out the sensation while Lance thrust into him with help from Shiro at a fast clip.

Lance came right after with a cry that dovetailed Shiro’s name with a wail that surely woke the neighbors. Shiro took him by the hips and let loose, heightening Lance’s cries as each of his wild thrusts hit home. Keith felt it too, through Lance, and his body jolted, still sensitive from orgasm.

Shiro slowed to let Keith unhook his wobbly legs from around him so Lance could pull out. His boyfriend fell on top of him panting, completely limp but for his tented hips. Keith looked on, dazed, while Shiro mercilessly fucked Lance on top of him, hearing the slapping of their hips, Shiro’s labored breath laced with an occasional grunt, and Lance, whimpering quietly on Keith’s chest with his ass in the air, still twitching from the vestiges of orgasm. If it wasn’t the most goddamn erotic thing Keith had ever seen… He touched the head of his cock once more, wracking his body with a powerful aftershock.

“Nnng, Lance… I’m close,” Shiro’s voice strained. He leaned forward over Lance, wrapping an arm around his torso and pressed his forehead between his shoulder blades. Keith brushed his hands through both their hair, enthralled with what he was witnessing, with what he was feeling happen on top of him.

“So close… Lance, fuc-” Keith watched the muscles in Shiro’s upper body tighten, felt Lance brace against him with what little energy he had left. Shiro’s hips stuttered and he held Lance tight, a mixture of groans and gasps meeting Lance’s skin. The thrusts slowly dampened and Shiro’s hips stilled. He blew out a slow breath and let his body relax but was careful not to put too much weight on the bodies beneath him. 

“You okay?” He asked, out of breath, and gently shook Lance.

Lance nodded weakly with a dazed but supremely satisfied grin on his face.

Shiro held the base of the condom and carefully pulled himself from Lance, who collapsed half-draped over Keith murmuring something about a sex god under his breath. Shiro slipped off the condom and knotted the end of it. Seeing Keith fumble with a wad of tissues, he picked up his pants from the floor and pulled out a small packet of wet wipes from a pocket.

“Here, these work better.” Shiro took one for himself then offered the pack to Keith with a grin. He cleaned himself up while Keith took care of himself and Lance. Shiro took the wad of tissues and wipes from Keith and deposited it in the wastebasket. He smiled after turning back to the bed and seeing Lance barely conscious but happily clinging to Keith and Keith planting soft kisses on Lance's face. “You guys are really cute.”

Shiro lay next to both of them on the bed with Lance in the middle again. Their hands gently wandered, but none of them said anything. The only sound was that of slow, satisfied breaths. Keith hooked an arm around Lance’s shoulder and nestled his head next to his boyfriend’s on the pillow. Shiro did the same on the other side, hugging Lance from behind and sliding his hand over Lance’s stomach then along Keith’s forearm, coming to rest on his wrist. He smiled at Keith’s partially eclipsed face. Keith glanced at Lance then back at Shiro, a smug look breaking across his face.

“Is he out cold?” Shiro looked to Keith with concern.

Keith put a finger over his lips for Shiro to keep his voice down and nodded. “We did good,” he whispered, grinning at his knocked out boyfriend again. He pulled himself up to kiss Lance’s forehead and gently stroke his hair then looked back at Shiro. “You want some coffee?” Keith offered quietly. He helped Shiro off the bed then tucked Lance under a blanket. They sifted through the pile of clothes to find their underwear. Keith put on his pants too but Shiro opted to stay in just his shorts.

“Black Lion, really?” Keith remarked, reading the waistband of Shiro’s boxer briefs. “That’s so porny.”

“To be fair, what we just did was pretty pornographic,” Shiro retorted with a smirk. 

They snickered and quietly slipped out of the bedroom, leaving Lance to recover. 

 

Keith made coffee and a bowl of popcorn in the kitchen.

“Does he always pass out like that?” Shiro asked, leaning against the counter and sipping from his cup.

“Only when it’s _especially_ good,” Keith smirked, raising his steaming cup to his lips.

“I see…” Shiro grinned bashfully.

“When he starts saying things in Spanish, that’s when you know,” Keith explained.

Shiro chuckled. “That’s sweet.”

“Well, I’m sure whatever he’s saying is actually really filthy if I could understand him,” Keith laughed. “He’s taught me a few phrases. _Quiero- que- me- cojas. Haz lo que qui- quieras?_ I think?” He stumbled through the badly accented Spanish. “And some sappier stuff too. I should really learn more...” From the way Shiro cleared his throat and awkwardly turned back to his coffee, it was clear he understood. “Oh shit, you took Spanish didn’t you,” Keith grimaced.

Shiro nodded through a flustered smile. They both erupted into badly stifled laughter.

“You and Lance are really good together. I’m happy for you, Keith.” Shiro smiled with a softness in his eyes.

“I’m blown away sometimes. Like, if I could go back and tell seventeen year old me that this is how it would be… I wouldn’t believe it. It’s not at all how I thought things would turn out. I totally used to carry a torch for you, back when I was a ‘troubled youth’.” He nudged his friend with his hip. 

Shiro smiled knowingly and took a sip of his coffee. “You were a good kid, Keith.”

“But Lance just kinda grew on me. His obnoxiousness is insidious like that. And then suddenly it was endearing and... Oh, I was so mad when I first realized it. It seemed so hopeless.” He sighed fondly. “But it’s better than I ever imagined. I really love him,” Keith smiled contentedly, hugging his coffee to his chest.

“You deserve it, Keith.” Shiro wrapped his prosthetic arm around the other man’s shoulders and gave him a friendly shake. He turned pensive for a moment, gazing into his cup, then set it down. He squared his body to Keith’s. “Though I can’t help but wonder if the cards had fallen a different way…” He brushed a lock of hair back from Keith’s face and stepped closer, cupping his face.

The smile fell from Keith’s face, replaced with a more fearful expression. What the hell was Shiro doing?

Shiro carefully leaned closer, giving Keith plenty of time to pull away. He didn’t. Keith was frozen, too caught off guard to know what to do. He felt his eyelids dropping as Shiro’s mouth moved dangerously closer. Keith inwardly cried ‘oh no’ as Shiro’s breath hit against his lips. He pinched his eyes shut and braced for it. Lance was never going to forgive him. Trembling, he waited. And waited… The moment dragged on long enough that Keith blinked his eyes open. He both heard and felt Shiro sigh.

“We should probably respect the rules, huh?” He said and pecked Keith on the forehead instead.

Shaking, Keith abandoned his mug on the countertop and grabbed Shiro’s shoulder as he pulled away, his wide eyes fixed on the taller man. He didn’t know why but he couldn’t stop his lips from chasing Shiro’s. At the last possible moment, Keith clamped a hand over Shiro’s mouth and firmly kissed the back of his fingers, the only boundary between him and a transgression. He heard Shiro inhale sharply through his nose when he did it. Keith pulled back a few lingering seconds later to look into Shiro’s shocked eyes. His own stuttering breath crashed into the back of his shaking hand, still too scared to take it off Shiro’s lips as he glanced between his old flame’s staring eyes. 

Before Keith had too much time to think about what he’d done, Shiro grabbed him by the hips and pushed him against the kitchen counter, knocking the back of Keith’s hand against his lips again. Keith tensed, surprised by it, then let his free hand touch against Shiro’s core as his trainer’s body pressed against his. He gasped with surprise and something akin to arousal when he felt Shiro’s tongue graze his palm. He clamped his hand down tighter. Keith moaned softly against his fingers and nearly wrapped his arm around Shiro before his better judgement caught up to him. He quickly pulled back in shock and simultaneously pushed Shiro away with the hand covering his mouth. They stepped apart, quickly putting several feet of buffer between each other and shared a very awkward silence. Keith ran a hand through his hair uncomfortably, looking anywhere but at Shiro while the other man stared at the floor with his hands on his hips and his lips pulled into a fretful line. 

“Okay, that was probably too far...” Keith finally said, voice and limbs shaking. Though they technically hadn’t broken any rules, Keith felt they’d _definitely_ violated the spirit of them.

“Sorry...” Shiro mumbled an apology. 

Keith cleared his throat and grabbed the bowl of popcorn, anxious to make an exit. “Lance, get out here! It’s couch time!” He called and quickly fled to the living room.

A few moments later, a groggy Lance dressed only in his underwear stumbled out of the short hallway and flopped onto the sofa where his boyfriend sat waiting. Keith welcomed him with open arms and held him close for a moment, clinging to him and deeply regretting what he’d nearly just done. Keith looked over to the man still hanging back in the kitchen. Shiro was opening a beer and looking rather disappointed with himself. 

“You too, Shiro.” Keith said, patting the couch cushion next to him. “And bring us some of those.” He nodded at the beer in Shiro’s hand and smiled with forgiveness. Shiro’s relief was visible as he joined the couple on the couch, two extra beers in hand. Lance repositioned himself to sprawl across Shiro too after he sat down, laying with his arms behind his head on Shiro’s lap. 

Keith was worried awkwardness might ensue but Lance, chatty as ever, saved them from it.

“Damn, Shiro. Like… _damn_ ,” Lance said with a wide grin. “Sorry, Keith but I won’t be bottoming for a few days. My ass is _wrecked!_ ”

“You took it like a champ,” Shiro grinned and ruffled Lance’s hair. 

“Thanks, coach,” Lance snorted but beamed up at him, totally smitten. Keith awkwardly chugged half his beer. Lance wouldn’t be flirting with him like that if he knew Shiro had just tried to do, but it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.

“So you and Allura…” Lance wriggled onto his side and propped his head up on his elbow. “Since you guys are open, could I ever, ya know... with Allura?” Lance flicked his eyebrows. Two pairs of eyes glared at him immediately.

“Open with limits,” Shiro warned. “And that goddess is mine. I don’t share,” he said flatly, reaching across Lance and helping himself to a handful of popcorn.

Keith looked sideways at his trainer, surprised by Shiro’s possessiveness.

“Wait, so you get to but she doesn’t? How is that fair?” Lance cried.

“It’s not about what’s fair-”

“...it’s about what your partner is comfortable with,” Keith finished for Shiro. “Hard no from me too on that.” He prodded Lance in the side as he said it.

Lance pouted and muttered something about it still not being fair then moved on to laughing to himself about how Shiro and Allura independently referred to each other as deities. A sex god and a goddess. They really were perfect for each other.

“Don’t worry. She has her own thing.” Shiro brushed his hand through Lance’s hair again.

“Honestly though, if it came down to it, I’m not sure I’d want to,” Lance said, pulling himself upright and wiggling in between Keith and Shiro. “It was a silly teenage fantasy that I just don’t think the real thing could live up to. And she’s like my bestie now. It’d be too weird.” He laughed and flipped on the TV with the remote.

Keith declined to mention that his silly teenage fantasy of being with an aggressively straight and totally unattainable dormmate had more than exceeded his wildest dreams. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he said and snuggled up to said foolish crush. 

They settled in to watch the zombie movie Lance had picked. It was a struggle for all of them not to doze off as the late hour, alcohol, and prior exertion took their tolls. Keith's eyelids grew heavy but the clink of Shiro's empty bottle being set on the coffee table woke him up.

Shiro lay his arm along the back of the couch when he sat back down. Keith felt a hand rubbing the back of his neck and tensed. After what had just happened in the kitchen, he was shocked Shiro would initiate contact again so soon. He relaxed though, seeing Shiro’s other hand was resting on Lance’s thigh and his head was tilted sleepily against Lance’s too. He was showing affection to both of them. Equally. And that made Keith feel a lot better. He relaxed into the touch and intertwined his fingers with Lance’s.

Shiro’s hand kept working, fingertips pressing into his neck in just the right places. Keith inhaled long and slow and let his eyes fall shut. Shiro gently traced along the slope of his neck, kneading as he went, and firmly squeezed his shoulder. Keith slitted his eyes open. Shiro’s other hand lay flat and unmoving on Lance’s thigh. It struck him as odd, but it was also his prosthetic hand, so maybe that was why? Come to think of it, when Shiro was split between them, his more dextrous hand always seemed to end up on him and not Lance. Keith pinched his eyes shut and blinked a few times, fighting off the ridiculous thoughts that were probably brought on by exhaustion. His tired mind sounded like Lance, over-thinking and reading into things that weren’t there. But then what the fuck was that thing in the kitchen? And that thing Shiro had said about the cards falling differently?

Shiro’s fingers crept up and brushed the side of Keith’s face. If there hadn’t been another body between them, he’d have thought Shiro was trying to get him to turn his head to kiss him, which is why Keith was shocked to see Shiro moving closer out of the corner of his eye. He whipped his head to the side just in time to see Shiro plant a soft kiss on Lance’s temple. His boyfriend had passed out again with his head leaning against the back of the couch, mouth hanging slightly open. 

_Stupid paranoia…_ Keith chided himself.

Shiro smiled at Lance then looked up at Keith next, fingers still dancing at the back of his head and kneading into his hair.

“It’s late. I gotta get going soon,” he whispered and leaned forward to gently kissed Keith's forehead. Keith’s head bumped back slightly as his lips connected. He laughed quietly and smiled, meeting Shiro’s gaze as he pulled back.

“You’re not gonna stay til the end of the movie?” Keith asked quietly, not wanting to wake Lance.

“I’ve seen it before,” Shiro whispered. Strangely, Keith has seen it before too. Not the movie, but the expression on Shiro’s face, though he couldn’t place exactly where.

Several murky thoughts began to coalesce in Keith's mind. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it yet, but there was something about the way Shiro was looking at him, something unmasked by sleepiness and a slight buzz. Something about the way his lips had lingered and the way he was playing with the hair at the base of Keith’s head in that very moment with a certain sad, softness in his eyes. Keith blinked sleepily. 

_Huh… That’s funny..._

That look. It reminded him of the way Lance used to look at him. Before they were dating. Before he even knew Lance was bi. Before... Keith inwardly gasped, eyes growing wide with a sudden realization. 

_No… He can't..._

_Shiro, NO..._

Keith’s astounded eyes followed his friend, his trainer, his former-mentor as he got up to retrieve his clothes from the bedroom. Keith had a few terrifying moments alone with his racing thoughts until the man who was scaring the shit out of him emerged fully-clothed and made his way to the door. Shiro paused with the door open and looked back at Keith. He smiled softly and mouthed ‘bye’ with a shy wave. 

That cemented it for Keith. How had he not seen it before when it had been in front of him all along, clear as day? Keith watched the door shut then snapped his eyes back to the TV, fixating on the screen but not taking in a single detail of the end of the movie, mind spinning with things that made so much sense in hindsight. 

_Oh shit…_

_He’s..._

Keith fearfully squeezed the hand of his blissfully unaware boyfriend who slept soundly at his side, a single panicked thought blaring in his mind.

Shiro was in love with him.

  
 

  
 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh… Shiro loves you, baby. <3  
> I dare you to reread that chapter from a pining Shiro perspective. I DARE YOU!
> 
> Kraftypants drew some [spicy art ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/167238683744/kraftypants-some-super-spicy-shklance-for) for this! <3
> 
> Sihaya-art made this and omg... [Lance is gone ;)](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/167611913559/sihaya-art-a-scene-from-enjayass-fic-please)
> 
> Maybe give Shiro a chance to explain himself before you freak out? Or ya know what, just go nuts. Scream at me in the comments. I’ve been bracing for it. <3  
> I especially wanna hear what you think Keith is thinking/feeling right now…
> 
>  
> 
> "Moh mwy gwob... fheewo...” - I am a serious writer. *upside down emoji*
> 
>  
> 
> Also, that smut tho… y’all don’t wanna know how many hours I spent getting it to turn out halfway decent. _Smut_is_so_hard_to_write!_ *screams while putting fist through wall*
> 
>  
> 
> Rough equivalents for the Spanish:  
> Damelo duro - Give it to me hard  
> Mierda - Shit  
> Quiero que me cojas - I want you to fuck me  
> Haz lo que quieras - Do whatever you want (to me)
> 
>    
>  
> 
> In the next chapter: Keith pops off like a firecracker with a too-short fuse.


	7. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro had a secret.  
> Keith found out about it and now Keith has a secret too.  
> And what if Lance has had a secret of his own all along?
> 
>    
> The funny thing about secrets though, is that they have a way of being found out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I should rename the last chapter ‘Shiro What the Fuck’ because that seems to be the predominant reaction to it and rightfully so! It was meant to be a shock. That being said, I’m not trying to paint Shiro as the bad guy either. It’s… complicated.
> 
> So where was the line? Well, that’s for you to decide. You could argue that they all kinda crossed it or at least teetered on the edge of it. Lance full-on felt up Shiro without Keith being there, Keith not-kissed Shiro in the kitchen, and Shiro… well, he’s been harboring feelings and fell victim to them pretty hard when he was alone with Keith. 
> 
> I wanted to make it a massive grey area. It’s meant to make you feel conflicted; it's meant to make you think. Where you feel the line falls will differ based on your own perspective and experiences, and it’s been super interesting reading all of your reactions! I'm still so, so sick with mono, so all the kudos, comments, and love has made life so much better. Thank you for that!! <3 <3
> 
>    
> Also, I probably should've reminded you before last chapter that the Galra are a gang/organized crime group in this AU, not aliens. ^ ^'''

  


  


Tricked. Betrayed. Stung.

That’s how Keith felt.

He didn’t sleep. The evening's events were too fresh in his mind to allow him any rest. Hours passed as he lay awake next to Lance replaying every interaction he’d ever had with Shiro in his head. Every touch, every smile, every seemingly innocuous gesture was suddenly cast in a sickening new light and strapped with the weight of a heavy new context. 

_You were a good kid, Keith._ Keith curled up fetally and pressed his face into his hands. The way Shiro had said it haunted him. How long had it gone on? All that time and after being invited into their bedroom too… And Shiro had never said anything? That wasn’t the Shiro Keith knew. The Shiro he knew would never do that to him.

Keith slowly uncoiled his body and turned onto his side, eyes falling on the sleeping form next to him. A strip of dim light slipped through the blinds and dashed diagonally across Lance’s face, highlighting one of his cheekbones and his softly parted lips. His chest rose and fell with slow, peaceful breaths, the very picture of unencumbered slumber. Keith carefully touched Lance’s arm, heart heavy with guilt. 

_Lance…_

His poor boyfriend had picked up on Shiro’s feelings long ago. And Keith had dismissed it. Made him feel crazy for it. But he’d been right all along. It was so unfair. How could Shiro do this to them? Keith shifted uncomfortably on the mattress, careful not to wake Lance as his anger gave way to fear. Fear for how was Lance going to react when he found out. Keith briefly considered not saying anything and bearing the burden on his own, but after foreseeing the disastrous ways that decision might play out, he knew what he needed to do.

_I have to tell him..._

Keith wasn’t sure he could deliver such a blow. Lance’s image of Shiro would be crushed. And when he found out Shiro was only using him to get to someone else… To get to _him..._ Anxiety gripped Keith’s chest but he managed to contain his thoughts before they spiraled out of control. He didn’t know for certain that that was the case. He wanted to believe that Shiro would never do something so low, but a sickening feeling in his gut and the evidence he’d been agonizing over all night told him otherwise. Keith’s chest burned with indignation on behalf of his boyfriend. What the hell had Shiro been thinking?

He lay back against his pillow and stared at the ceiling. His head was beginning to pound from lack of sleep. It was so late that he could barely think. Finally, he started to drift off but Shiro’s musty scent lingered on the sheets, making his body tense and his toes curl as memories flooded his mind again. Fresh memories - flashes of Shiro’s casually rubbing his neck at the gym, Shiro in the kitchen brushing back his hair, Shiro’s body pressing him into the counter while desperately kissing the palm of his hand. Keith shuddered and shook them out of his head, only to have old memories to take their place - hugs and soft smiles that dated back as far as his high school years at the Garrison. Keith’s body went limp; it was so obvious hindsight. How, _how_ had he missed it? 

The sky had grown light when Keith finally drifted into an exhausted, furious sleep.

 

 

The mattress dipped and then rose beside him - the familiar pattern of Lance getting out of bed. Keith curled into a ball, groaning and grasping at his forehead. It felt like a ton of bricks was sitting on his skull. 

“Ugh, what time is it?” He moaned bleary eyed and no less exhausted than when he finally fell asleep. 

Lance, ever the early riser thanks to his work schedule, yawned through a stretch.

“Almost 8 am.”

Keith groaned again. “I barely slept,” he complained.

“Aw, babe, I’m sorry.” Lance gently patted his side. “But that’s what you get for drinking coffee at midnight. I bet Shiro didn’t sleep either,” he added with a laugh. Keith whined louder at the mention of Shiro’s name and pulled a pillow over his face. Lance just chuckled at his cranky boyfriend.

“Alright Mr. GrumpyPants, I’ll leave you to catch a few more Zs.”

 

Keith managed to snag maybe a half hour more of sleep before he realized his conscience wasn’t going to let him rest. He had to tell Lance. After prying his weary body off the mattress, he staggered groggy and disheveled into the living room. Lance was pulling a carton out of the fridge in his blue robe and had a towel wrapped around his hair.

“Lance I gotta talk to y- Ahhh!” Keith jumped back startled and clutching his chest when Lance turned around. “What the fuck is on your face?!” Keith cried.

Lance looked up at him while pouring a glass of milk and frowned. “Well, it’s supposed to be a panda...” He said, self-consciously touching the moisturizing face mask covering his skin.

“You look like a deranged clown!” Keith stared at him in horror.

Lance pouted and set the carton back on the counter with a thud, disappointed that his cute face mask idea was a bust. A mischievous grin spread over his face as he looked back at Keith. 

“What’s wrong Keith, don’t you like clowns?” He moved slowly across the room towards him. 

“Lance… Don’t you dare…” Keith began backing away.

“Come here and gimme a kiss!” Lance bolted towards him.

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” Keith shrieked and fled back to the bedroom. Lance tackled him just as he hid under a blanket. Keith cowered beneath it on their bed while Lance laughed loudly.

“Keith-” He paused to stifle his laughter. “It’s okay. I took it off.”

Keith slowly pulled the blankets down over his eyes and was relieved to see his boyfriend’s face - sans creepy beauty mask - looking down at him. 

“See? All gone.” Lance smiled at him. “Sorry I scared you.” 

Personally, Keith thought he looked more amused than sorry. 

“God, warn me next time." He pushed the blanket below his elbows with a relieved sigh. "I don’t like clowns.”

“It was a panda…” Lance muttered.

Keith couldn’t help but smile. Creepy clown pandas or not, Lance’s skin glowed. Mesmerized, he reached up and lightly touched the side of Lance’s face. A trace of residue from the mask got on his fingers but he didn’t care. Lance was too beautiful not to touch. 

“You’re in a better mood,” Lance remarked, kissing his hand.

“Yeah,” Keith whispered and pulled Lance down, pressing their lips together. The kiss dragged on, deep and breathy. Keith pulled Lance closer and never wanted to stop kissing those lips. He was so scared for what he had to tell him.

“Hey, so last night was pretty fun, huh?” Lance grinned when they broke. Keith’s stomach plummeted. His boyfriend wore the biggest, smuggest smile. 

“Yeah…” Keith cleared his throat and looked away. Was it only last night? Keith felt like a week had passed.

“I know I wouldn’t mind doing that again, if ya know what I mean,” Lance nudged him with a sly giggle. Keith tried to hide his cringe. “Maybe he can come back again next weekend - if that’s not too soon.”

“Yeah, I dunno about that…” Keith stared fretfully at the ceiling. 

“Oh my god, Keith. It was unbelievable!” Lance flopped onto his back next to Keith and proceeded to describe exactly how amazing Shiro’s mouth, chest, and cock had felt, all the while not noticing that Keith was dry-mouthed and dying next to him. Keith’s hand slowly crept over his eyes.

“Lance, stop, _please_ ,” he finally begged.

“Aw, babe. Don’t worry, you were amazing too.” Lance leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “It’s nice to finally see you a little jealous though.”

Keith lifted his hand to peer at Lance with one eye. Jealous was _definitely_ not the right word for what he was feeling.

“Anyways-” Lance blew an impressed breath between his lips. “You guys are gonna be the death of me,” he laughed happily.

 _He’s gonna be the death of me too,_ Keith thought but for entirely different reasons.

“You know...” Lance propped himself up on one elbow and sent a devious sideways grin in Keith’s direction. “Maybe we could even put _you_ in the middle next time.” There was a suggestive waggling of eyebrows. Keith’s eyes grew wide and he sat up quickly, certain he was one unit of panic away from breaking into a cold sweat.

“I gotta go to the gym,” he announced abruptly and clambered off the bed.

“I thought you said you were tired.” Lance followed after him. “Do you want a ride?” 

“No.” 

Not bothering to change out of his ratty old night shirt and retired gym shorts, Keith snatched his keys off the counter and stepped into his shoes, foregoing socks. Jacket in hand, he was out the door and halfway into their shared Corolla in seconds.

“Keith! You forgot your gym bag!” Lance called to him from the doorway, still in his robe and holding said bag out to him while trying to stop Red from escaping with his leg.

“I don’t need it!” Keith yelled back. He slammed the car door shut and peeled out of the driveway. 

Lance blinked, thoroughly confused, as he watched Keith speed off in Blue. It was typical. Just typical! One second Keith was kissing him and the next he was running out the door. Lance shook his head.

“Your other dad is _so_ not a morning person,” he told the chocolate lab at his feet testily and shut the door with a huff.

 

 

Keith put the pedal to the metal as he swerved through obnoxiously slow Sunday traffic, swearing fiercely at the idiotic drivers in his way. He gave no thought to his own safety or that of the people around him. He was a mad man on a mission. And that mission was to deliver some choice words to his trainer about a particularly damaging secret he’d apparently been harboring for months, if not years. Keith’s foot pushed down harder as his emotions overpowered common sense. Yell at Shiro first, tell Lance later. That was his plan and nothing could stop him. The light at an upcoming intersection changed to yellow. Keith sped up, but the car in front of him slowed to a halt, its more cautious driver evidently deciding not to chance a yellow light.

“Fuck!” Keith gasped and slammed on the breaks. There was a crunching sound from Blue’s innards and he narrowly avoided rear-ending the car in front of him. His body slammed back against the seat as his car came to an abrupt stop. 

“You could’ve gone, asshole!” He yelled at the driver. He’d been fully prepared to run the red light and sighed through gritted teeth at the delay. Anger steadily rising, he gripped the steering wheel and entered a staring contest with the traffic signal. There wasn’t an ounce of patience left in him; he couldn’t get to Shiro’s gym fast enough. When the light changed to green, the car in front of him was slow to move.

“Come on! GO!” Keith yelled and blared his horn. He floored it as soon as the car began to pull forward and veered into the adjacent lane to get around them, cursing every Prius in existence under his breath as he did. Someone behind him honked repeatedly, but he ignored it, too focused to even bother flipping them the bird. His foot rested heavy on the pedal and Blue’s engine kicked up a gear in response. Keith’s eyes blazed with anger at the empty road ahead. Shiro didn’t know what he was in for.

He heard the sirens first and caught a glimpse of flashing lights in his rearview mirror next. Then, Keith saw the motorcycle. 

“Shit...” He swore under his breath and sagged in his seat, gradually slowing his speed. It must have come out of nowhere. He hadn’t seen it all, not that he’d been paying much attention. Keith hit the steering wheel in anger. He didn’t have time for this and he really couldn’t afford another speeding ticket. But, he should have thought of that before letting his emotions get the better of him _again_. Lance was gonna kill him. Reluctantly, he pulled over into the gravel on the side of the road.

 

 

Lance was in the bathroom plucking his eyebrows when his phone buzzed on the bathroom counter, momentarily diverting his eyes.

Message from Restricted: Get ca$h now. Reply to this message with...

He grumbled upon seeing the message preview. His heart still jumped every time he got one of those stupid texts. Miffed at himself, he went back to focusing on his eyebrows and made a mental note to Google how to get your number off spam lists as soon as he was done. 

 

 

Keith watched the cop dismount in his rear view mirror and found him to be rather short for a police officer. Slight, too. The cop took off his helmet and set it on the bike, and after getting a better look, Keith realized it was a woman. Her short hair was slicked back and Keith could only tell it was purple by the way the light was hitting it. Her dark lipstick matched the shade and one stray violet lock fell in front of her aviator sunglasses. It was a rather unconventional look for an officer of the law, but Keith had to admit it was pretty badass. He stiffened though as she grabbed a small clipboard and approached his vehicle without a trace of a smile on her face.

 

 

Lance's phone buzzed again not two minutes later. ‘For fuck’s sake,’ he mouthed under his breath and threw his tweezers aside. He snatched up his phone, set it to silent, and dumped it on the living room table. 

Out of sight and out of mind, he was done with unnecessary distractions for the morning.

 

 

Keith rolled down his window as the officer approached.

“‘Morning, Mr. McClain.” She snapped her gum, clicked a pen, and began writing on her pad. Keith was immediately thrown off at being addressed that way. Lance’s name must have come up when she ran the plates.

“Oh, uh… That’s not… I- I’m not-” He stammered awkwardly. The officer’s head snapped to him and Keith quickly fell silent. He'd learned the hard way that it was best to keep his mouth shut around authority figures, lest his never-quite-relinquished sense of teenage rebellion dig him deeper into trouble. Plus, he’d heard that cops would intentionally take longer if you pissed them off and Keith was impatient to get to Shiro. 

“Do you know how fast you were going?” She leaned forward to speak through the window and pushed her aviators down her nose to peer at him. Bright, incisive eyes fell on Keith. Eyes he didn’t feel like he could lie to.

“Too fast,” Keith sighed with disappointment. He didn’t bother arguing and handed her his license and registration. She squinted at him like he wasn’t quite what she was expecting then took his papers.

“And you were driving like a maniac,” she said sternly and took an obvious gander into Keith’s backseat then eyed at him suspiciously again. As she backed away from his window, her hand slowly crept to the gun holster on her hip.

“Mr. McClain, I'm going to need you to step out of your vehicle.”

 

 

In lieu of his phone, Lance had his laptop propped open on the toilet lid and was singing along to Selena in the bathroom, putting on a make-believe concert for Red. The dog sat happily panting just outside the bathroom. 

“You hear this, Red? This girl was the first ever future Mrs. McClain! Sing the chorus with me!” He pointed the end of a spray canister he’d been using as a microphone at her and helped her sing along to his grade school celebrity crush.

 

_“ 'Cause I’m dreaming of you tonight...”_

 

_“ 'Til tomorrow, I'll be holding you tight...”_

 

On the living room table, the screen of Lance’s phone flashed on with a preview of a message.

Message from -Restricted-: Well, well, well. It’s about time, Garrison boy.  
Message from -Restricted-: It’s about time.

 

_“And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be…"_

 

Message from -Restricted-: (3)  
Message from -Restricted-: (4)  
Message from -Restricted-: (5)

The notifications continued to stack. 

 

_“...Than here in my room dreaming about you and me.”_

 

 

 

Keith blinked in confusion at the request to get out of his car. Speeding wasn't usually enough if an offense to merit it and surely she didn't think he was drunk. But, he knew better than to argue with a cop. The last thing he needed was to get arrested too. Being careful not to show any emotional response that could be interpreted as disrespect, like how annoyed he was, Keith unfastened his seatbelt.

“Wait…” The officer did a double take at Keith's license just as he moved to open his door. “Kogane?” She looked at him and froze with her weapon pulled halfway out of it’s holster. Keith froze too while the officer contemplatively rolled her gum between one set of molars. “This car is registered to a Lance McClain. That’s not you?” 

“Um... H- He’s my boyfriend. It’s his car.” Keith swallowed nervously. He didn’t like telling strangers. He was never quite sure how they would react.

“I see,” the officer narrowed her eyes and set her gun fully back in it’s holster. Keith bit his lip. He already didn’t like cops, but this one in particular was really freaking him out. She seemed to draw some conclusion about him then walked back to her motorcycle and spoke into her radio.

Keith threw his head back against the headrest and sighed miserably at how long it was taking.

 

 

Message from -Restricted- (14)  
Message from -Restricted- (15)

As abruptly as they’d started, the messages stopped. The notification count held at fifteen and Lance’s phone lay dormant on the table.

 

 

The officer returned and seemed in much more of a hurry. She handed Keith his license and scribbled quickly on her pad, muttering something about letting him off with just a speeding ticket this time. 

“Be careful out there, Mr. Kogane. Wouldn’t want to see anybody get hurt,” she warned and held out the ticket.

“Thanks officer uh...” He tried to read the name embroidered on her uniform but didn’t have a clue how to pronounce it despite it only being four letters long. “Thanks,” he muttered again awkwardly and reached for the ticket.

She pulled it out of reach just as he went to take it. 

“Hey.” She leaned through Keith’s window again and blew a bubble with her gum right in his face. Keith recoiled when it popped. “Tell Lance, Silver says hi.” Her lip briefly twitched into a smirk and she let Keith take the ticket.

“Who?” Keith stuck his head out the window to ask as she walked off. She didn’t respond and revved her engine soon after, leaving Keith in a plume of dust.

Coughing, Keith rolled his window up and took a moment to process the particularly odd end to that traffic stop. He rubbed his eyes with irritation but at least his morning was back on track. Putting his reckless decisions and the resulting ticket behind him, Keith resumed driving as fast as he could - without breaking the speed limit this time - and set his sights on Shiro.

 

 

“Red, stay!” Lance instructed and quickly went to retrieve his phone. He’d accidentally rubbed Red’s head with product on his hand and the spiked up look the both of them were now sporting was too cute to not capture on camera.

 _Jesus… Fifteen messages?_ He dismissed them all with one swipe of his thumb.

“Okay Red, smile!” He crawled on the floor to selfie with her. Her wagging tail thwacked against his back as he snapped a photo. “Good girl!”

Lance posted the picture to Instagram and promptly went back to ignoring his phone. 

 

 

Keith burst through the front doors of Shiro’s gym and didn’t stop them from slamming shut behind him. The speeding ticket had quashed some of his anger so he managed to not immediately start yelling at the top of his lungs. Fists clenched and shaking with rage, he stalked across the gym to where Shiro was wrapping up with a client, a vet on crutches. Shiro’s back was to him, but he turned when his client looked past him and in Keith’s direction. Shiro looked pleasantly surprised at his presence and signaled for him to hold tight while finished up. And so Keith waited. Like an angry shadow, he waited. 

 

“Keith, hey.” Shiro finally addressed him after waving his client off. “Were we scheduled today?” Shiro looked him up and down. “You’re not dressed for a workout…” He said it like he got the sense that something was up.

“No. I’m not,” Keith growled. 

Shiro was happy to see him but seemed confused by his demeanor. “Everything okay?”

No. Everything was not okay. Far from it.

Keith’s chest heaved with anger while he listened to the last client’s crutches click across the gym floor, waiting for him to be out of the building before he unleashed. He didn’t take his glaring eyes off Shiro. There was a clatter from the entrance and they were alone.

“I can’t believe you!” Keith immediately shoved Shiro back. Shiro recoiled with confusion and hurt but still looked at Keith with concern. 

“Whoa, Keith, what-” He tried to place his hands on Keith’s shoulders to calm him but Keith shrugged away.

“Don’t you fucking touch me!” 

Shiro immediately backed off.

“Okay… You wanna tell me what this is about?” He asked calmly.

Keith grit his teeth.

“Lance can’t wait to fuck you again!” He couldn’t look at Shiro while he said it. The taller man cocked his head still trying to figure out why Keith was so upset. “He can’t wait... You blew his goddamn mind Shiro and now I have to tell him! I HAVE TO TELL HIM WHY IT CAN’T HAPPEN AGAIN!” He yelled in Shiro’s face not sparing him the full wrath of his angry eyes.

“Keith, I can see you’re upset, but I think I’ve missed something.” Shiro voice carried the mark of a practiced mediator: calm, collected, verging on sympathetic. “What do you mean it can’t happen again?” 

Keith snorted wryly. As impressed as he was at Shiro’s ability to stay calm when he was a pressure cooker one PSI away from exploding, he wasn’t there to answer questions. Not when Shiro was the one who needed to explain himself.

“Do you want to fuck me?” Keith demanded, looking him dead in the eyes. “Alone? _Without_ Lance?”

Shiro’s eyebrows rose. He had clearly not been expecting that question. He froze momentarily, his expression somewhere between startled and perplexed. “Ah- Keith, why-”

“ANSWER ME, SHIRO!” Keith’s voice echoed through the empty gym.

Shiro looked uncomfortable but did as Keith asked. He answered, kindly and sincerely.

“Well, yeah. Of course I do.” Keith’s face twisted with fury. “But the same is also true for Lance,” Shiro added carefully, holding up his hands to calm him.

A wry smile passed over Keith’s lips. He even managed to huff out a dry laugh.

“But you’re not in love with Lance, are you?” His lip trembled with anger as he brought his brimming eyes up to his trusted friend, his dedicated trainer, his long-time mentor, the Shiro he thought he knew. All Keith saw was the man who had betrayed him. Shiro looked back at him, face impassive as sober understanding passed between them.

A long moment followed until Shiro finally broke their gaze, brushing his white lock back from his forehead with a controlled sigh. Mouth pulled tight, he looked around the room as if searching for an answer. He paused while staring at the floor and wet his lips, allowing himself a thoughtful moment before bringing his honest eyes back to the furious man in front of him. A smile crept over his lips as he looked at Keith again.

“No. I’m not,” Shiro said softly.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU!” Keith screamed as hot, angry tears rolled down his cheeks. The shred of hope that he’d been wrong, that he’d somehow misread something vanished. Keith turned away with his hands clutching the sides of his head then looked incredulously back at Shiro, panic slowly taking over his body. 

“Keith...” Shiro calmly approached him but stopped when Keith recoiled fearfully.

“YOU CAN’T BE IN LOVE WITH ME! NONE OF THIS IS GOING TO WORK!” Keith sobbed while pacing back and forth. “Oh my god… How am I gonna tell Lance? It’s gonna destroy him!” 

“Hold on a minute, Keith-”

“We were just trying to have fun and you… you ruined it! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!” Shiro flinched at his words. “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?”

“I’d hate to think love ruined anything…” Shiro made a pained face.

“Oh, SHUT UP!” Keith was in no mood for bullshit. “What about Allura, huh? How could you do this to her?”

“Hey, you leave her out of this!” It was the only times Shiro’s voice turned hard.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I HAVE TO DO, SHIRO? _DO YOU?_ I HAVE TO-” Keith’s voice cracked with a sudden sob. “I have to break his heart...” He barely managed to squeak it out as the gravity of the situation hit him all over again. He covered his eyes with one hand and cried quietly in front of Shiro.

“Keith-” Shiro stepped carefully towards him again. Keith almost let him get close enough this time.

“NO! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” He slapped Shiro’s hand away the second is touched his arm. “YOU USED HIM! YOU USED LANCE TO GET TO ME!”

And that was the crux of it. He could never forgive Shiro for that. Keith turned on his heels and made a beeline for the door.

“Keith!” Shiro called after him, his voice laced with hurt. “KEITH!”

“FUCK YOU!” Keith stormed back out the door too livid to look at Shiro anymore.

 

Keith slammed the car door shut and fumbled with his keys, vision too blurry to properly see what he was doing. Frustration rumbled in his throat as he failed to find the right one. The growl built into an incensed scream that was meant more for Shiro than his keys and he nearly gave up fighting with them entirely. Finally identifying the right one, he jammed it into the ignition but didn’t start the engine. He slumped over the steering wheel instead, body heaving with rage-filled sobs. Shiro was the last person he thought would ever betray him. He desperately needed to hit a punching bag to work through it but, since it was Shiro's gym, he couldn’t even do that. He slammed his fist into the wheel with an angry sob instead. What was he going to tell Lance? His boyfriend looked up to Shiro so much and had the cutest schoolboy crush on him. It was going to kill him to know. His insecurity was going to skyrocket and Keith didn’t want to be the one to do that to him. But, it felt like lying to not tell him. And if he somehow found out later… Lance would never forgive him.

_Either way..._

_Either way I have to hurt him… Fuck you, Shiro._

Keith wiped fresh tears from his eyes. He was so angry at Shiro for the position he’d put him in, but the fucked up part was that part of him still wanted to fuck around with Shiro. He wanted to keep having threesomes, but there was no way he was _ever_ going to let that happen. Not at Lance’s expense.

 

A tapping on his window pulled Keith from his thoughts.

“Keith.” He heard Shiro’s muffled voice through the window and caught a glimpse of his familiar silhouette out of the corner of his eye.

Keith didn’t look at him and started his engine in protest. Shiro rapped again twice.

“Keith, please.” The calmness and sincerity in his voice frustrated Keith to no end. How did Shiro always manage to be the bigger person, even when he was the one at fault? Keith twisted his key back and yanked it out of the ignition. He got out of his car, glaring at Shiro as he got to his feet.

“I don’t love you like that!” Keith snarled but kept his voice down since they were in public. “I will never love you like that!”

“I think you might be misunderstanding…” Shiro chuckled and it made Keith's blood boil. He moved to get back in his car but Shiro quickly grabbed his elbow. “Hey, come on. Hear me out first.” 

Keith jerked his arm out of Shiro’s grip. 

“You have five minutes,” he growled and stomped back towards the gym.

 

Once both inside, Shiro locked the door behind them and flipped the sign to ‘closed’ so they wouldn’t be disturbed. Arms folded and face dark, Keith watched him from a few feet away.

“Sit down.” Shiro gestured to a bench near the storage cubbies and took one end of it for himself. Skeptical of his intentions, Keith sat on the opposite end, as far away as he could without falling off its wooden paneling. He kept his arms tightly folded and his glare in place, crossing his leg away from Shiro too.

Shiro took a deep breath before he started.

“First let me just say that this was something I intended to keep private. I never meant for you to find out.” 

Keith narrowed his eyes further, if that was even possible. Shiro was not off to a good start. 

“And second, I would never use anybody. I like both of you," he said firmly. "Yes, my feelings for you run deeper, but it’s rare to feel equally about any two people and I don’t like thinking about it in terms of ranks.” He paused, reading Keith for a reaction. Still unimpressed, Keith didn’t move a muscle and waited for Shiro to continue.

“Now let me explain how love and affection work for me. Love for me is…” He paused and grimaced with uncertainty. “Well, it suffices to say that my attitudes towards love are a bit non-traditional.” A lopsided but shy grin spread over Shiro’s face. “I’m often hesitant to even bring it up for… well, obvious reasons.” He gestured between them. “But love isn’t limited to one person for me. It’s not necessarily possessive, and it doesn’t even have to be reciprocated.” Keith blinked skeptically at him and reset his tightly folded arms. 

“When I was captured by the Galra…” Shiro’s eyes drifted to empty space and his gaze slipped far away. The tenor of his voice changed too. “I thought I was going to die every day, every hour I was there… I thought my life was over and you know what I found?” He paused, whether it was for effect or because he was reliving something truly horrific, Keith couldn’t tell. “Regrets, Keith. A _lot_ of regrets...” His eyes turned soft again looking at the man on the other end of the bench. “So I promised myself that if I ever made it out alive, I was going to love as many people as I could and not feel guilty about it.” Shiro leaned back and relaxed his shoulders against the wall behind the bench, staring upwards at nothing in particular as his face turned serene. “There was something strangely freeing about that experience and that realization.” 

Keith shifted uncomfortably but found his arms weren’t as tightly folded as before.

“So while I can safely say that yes, I am in love with you, Keith-” Keith’s spine elongated as he tensed at Shiro’s words. His trainer’s careful gaze held him in place, keeping him from running out of the gym and never looking back. “It might not have the same connotation for you as it does for me.” 

Keith finally released the breath he’d been holding.

“There's a lot of ways I'd like to love you, Keith, but I know and understand that they won't happen. And I don’t need them to. Everything as it is has been… more than enough.” He smiled lovingly. “Am I making sense?”

“Uh… I dunno. Kinda?” Keith didn’t know what he thought.

Shiro nodded with understanding. “And since you expressed concern, Allura knows and understands all this. It’s why we’re open and it’s why we work. And I do love her- she’s going to have my kids someday,” he said with a giddy grin. “We don’t hide things from each other, so she’s well aware that I’ve always had a soft spot for you.”

“Always?” Keith’s voice cracked and his eyebrows rose fearfully.

“Always, Keith,” Shiro nodded with a kind smile. Keith covered his mouth with his hand and looked away. 

“I’m sorry if I’ve put you - and Allura too - in a difficult spot. That was never my intent.” 

Keith tried to form words with his mouth but found he couldn’t properly articulate his thoughts. “I- I don’t know what to say to you right now.” He looked at his trainer at a loss. 

“Take a minute. I know it’s a lot.” Shiro reached out to pat Keith’s back but ended up awkwardly waving his hand in the air behind him, being mindful of how Keith had balked at physical contact earlier.

Keith took several deep breaths and stared at the floor totally overwhelmed. He hadn’t been prepared for Shiro’s rather unanticipated explanation. He’d been expecting to tell Shiro to fuck off forever and be done with it. And while he could follow Shiro’s logic, - it even made him feel better that he had no ill intent - there was still an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

“So then... what do you want from me?” Keith asked, feeling suddenly tired and not certain he was properly grasping the situation.

“I want you to be the happiest version of yourself you can be- whatever that means. And I just hope I’m there to witness it.” Shiro tilted his head with a smile. 

Keith put his face in his hands and massaged his temples. Frustrated breath audibly hit against his palms. He both hated and didn’t hate Shiro at the same time. Be the happiest version of yourself? How was he supposed to be mad at that! It was infuriating how Shiro always made it so hard to stay angry with him. His formerly blazing rage was already down to a dull disappointment. 

Finally, Keith dropped his hands.

“You should’ve told me…”

“Maybe, but there was never really a right time for it.”

“Uh… How about before we had a three-way _with my boyfriend?_ That would’ve been a pretty good time!” Keith shouted, emotions flaring again.

One side of Shiro’s mouth frowned. 

“Keith, you’ve been so happy with Lance, and it’s been so good to see!” The warmest smile broke over Shiro’s face. “It would have been selfish of me to complicate that for you when I had no intention of acting on my feelings.”

“But you _did_ act on them! You’ve _been_ acting on them! Even when you think you’re not, it’s so blatant that Lance picked up on it years ago! I’m just fucking oblivious apparently.” Keith cried and threw his arms up in a huff. "You should never have gotten involved." He folded his arms with a scowl.

Shiro’s shoulders dropped with a heavy sigh. He looked down, disappointed him himself. “I’m sorry, Keith," he apologized softly. "I thought I could handle it.”

“Yeah well, counter to what you and Lance seem to think, you’re not perfect!” 

“No, I’m not,” Shiro chuckled through a pained smile.

Keith managed a quiet laugh at how dejected Shiro looked. He almost wished Lance could have seen him looking so... human. Keith finally uncrossed his arms and gripped the edge of the bench, staring contemplatively into the floor. Surprisingly, he wasn’t that upset with Shiro anymore.

“Would it have made a difference if I had?” Shiro asked hesitantly.

“What?” Keith’s head snapped to him.

“Would it have made a difference if I’d told you sooner?”

“Well I sure as hell wouldn’t have let you fuck my boyfriend!” Keith shot back. What the hell kind of question was that?

“Fair.” Shiro rubbed the back of his head. “But I meant-”

“I know what you meant!” Keith snapped. “Would the cards have fallen differently, right?”

Shiro nodded. Keith was annoyed they were even talking about it but since they were already in the thick of it…

“If you’d told me at the Garrison…” Keith tempered his reaction and chose his words carefully. “I mean, back then I was convinced Lance was straight...” He looked at Shiro meaningfully, but Shiro quickly shook his head.

“You were young then, Keith. And I was your RA. It wouldn’t have been appropriate.”

Keith rolled his eyes. Shiro, forever a stickler for the rules. 

“Fine. If you mean after that-” Even if was true that he would jump in Shiro’s bed _so fast_ if they were both single… “Then no,” Keith said firmly. “I’m with Lance. I got everything I wanted.” Keith was intentionally harsh. He hoped it stung and didn’t care if that made him a jerk. Shiro needed to step off.

Keith wasn’t quite prepared for the broad grin Shiro sported in response to his dig. “That’s great, Keith. I’m so glad you’re happy.”

Keith slouched on the bench and let his limbs go limp, utterly bewildered by Shiro’s reactions. “So what now?” He sighed with exhaustion, asking himself as much as Shiro. “What the fuck do I do with all this?”

“Well, from my perspective, nothing changes.”

“Are you crazy?” Keith looked at him incredulously. From Keith's perspective _everything_ had changed. “Shiro, I have to tell Lance, and after that, I don’t think we can ever… ‘have you over’ again. God, I don’t want to tell him… It’s gonna hurt him so much.” Keith leaned forward and put his face in his hands.

“Want me to talk to him?” Shiro offered.

“Are you insane? That would be worse! He needs to hear it from me.”

Shiro nodded with understanding. “Well, talk to him. See how he feels about it and if you’re both still on board, maybe the three of us can still-”

“I don’t want you going anywhere near him!” Keith snapped. Every protective instinct that he didn’t know he had flared. “You love me and not Lance… How is that fair to him? You can’t just use him like that!”

“Whoa, okay. I can understand why it looks that way, but like I said before, that is _not_ what I’ve been doing,” Shiro stated firmly. Keith had only ever known honesty from Shiro barring this one glaring omission and consciously chose to believe him.

“And you know, I think I could love Lance one day.” Shiro’s expression lightened. “I’ve kind of seen a different side of him lately. I'm sure you already know this, but he’s _really_ cute.” Shiro looked at him bashfully and blushed. _Blushed!_ The strangest combination of relief for his boyfriend and jealously went off inside Keith and it proved to be too much for his brain to handle. He suddenly felt unsteady, almost like he might faint. 

“I- I gotta go…” Keith stumbled off the bench in a hurry. With barely two hours of sleep and no food for the day, he was at capacity. He needed to rest after the onslaught of information, needed to let it settle before he tried to anymore make sense of it. 

“Keith,” Shiro called to him as he neared the door. “If- If you really think it’s just going to hurt him… If it’s only going to do more harm than good…” He hesitated and looked worriedly at Keith.

Keith slowly turned to look at him. Shiro couldn’t possibly be suggesting… “Are you saying that I shouldn’t tell him? _Seriously?!_ ”

“I don’t want to hurt him any more than you do.” Shiro’s face pained. “And the responsibility would be on us - on me mostly- to not step out of line again. Look, I didn’t tell you for the same reasons. It’s a hard balance of minimizing hurt and being truly honest.”

“Yeah? And how did that turn out for you?” Keith snorted at the ridiculous suggestion and turned to leave.

“Keith…” Shiro called after him softly.

Keith paused again with his hand on the door and looked at Shiro with irritation. 

“I really am sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like this. And I’ll respect whatever you decide.”

Keith nodded, too tired for any more words. Though he left the gym far less angry than when he arrived, he had a whole slew of other new feelings that he didn’t quite know what to do with. And a fucking speeding ticket.

 

 

 

Keith: We need to talk when I get back

 

He texted Lance the second he was out the door. The idea, the very notion that he would keep this from Lance was downright offensive but he didn’t have any energy left to be angry about it.

Keith took his time getting home, stopping to pick up coffee and a couple burritos and used the extra time to let his mind process things. He texted Lance again to see what kind of burrito he wanted but grew impatient with Lance’s unusually long response time and guessed at his order instead. 

He drove slowly after, trying to figure out how he was going to explain everything Shiro had said. Dread quickly weighed him down. He didn’t know where to begin and couldn’t think of a good way to soften it. Shiro’s suggestion came to mind again. If it was only going to cause pain, then maybe it really was better not to tell him. Conflicted, Keith stopped at the last light on his route home. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the speeding ticket in his passenger seat poking out from under the bag of burritos and remembered how the cop had addressed him.

_Mr. McClain, huh?_

_Keith McClain…_

A smile crept over his face as he tried out the sound of it in his head. It was accompanied by a weird floaty feeling in his chest and his cheeks were suddenly inexplicably hot. He snorted out a nervous laugh.

_Now that just sounds weird._

The light turned green. Keith promptly tossed Shiro’s suggestion out the window as he pulled forward. Lance had a right to know. However much it might suck, he had a right to know. 

 

 

Lance was doing pushups in the living room when Keith, tired as hell, finally got home. The standard ‘hey babe’ greeting stopped him in the doorway. He immediately choked up upon seeing Lance.

“Where have you been? I’ve been texting you!” He pouted.

“Sorry, babe. I’ve been ignoring my phone.” Lance glanced up at him and did a double take. Keith looked a wreck. “Are you okay?” Lance quickly got to his feet. 

No. He wasn’t okay. Keith crossed the room, dropping the coffee, burritos, and the speeding ticket on the table, and wrapped Lance in a fierce hug.

“I love you so much.” He buried his face in Lance’s neck. “Don’t ever doubt that, okay!” He cried, pulling at the back of Lance’s shirt.

“Whoa, Keith, are you crying?” Lance asked alarmed. He gently pulled his boyfriend’s face back.

“Maybe... I don't know…” Keith’s voice shook. His head was a scrambled mess of emotions and his restless night had more than caught up to him. “I’m so tired,” he sobbed.

Lance’s expression waxed sympathetic. He knew the look of an overtired Keith.

“Let’s get you back to bed.” He put his arm around his boyfriend and led him to the bedroom where he quickly tucked Keith under the covers. He crawled onto the bed to spoon him above the sheets.

“I got you a burrito,” Keith said softly.

“Thanks, babe. I’ll eat it after you’re asleep,” Lance said and gave him an extra squeeze.

“Lance…” Keith sniffed sleepily. The softness of his pillow and the way his head was sinking into it was already making it hard to stay conscious. “There's something I gotta tell you.”

“Shh. Sleep now, talk later,” Lance whispered and gently stroked his hair. Warm in his boyfriend’s arms and with his fingers combing through his hair, Keith went out like a light.

 

Several hours later, Keith woke to a dry mouth and a growling stomach. Ignoring both, he stumbled out of the bedroom to look for Lance and found him in the bathroom crouched amongst a cluttered mess of beauty products spread in a half-circle around him on the floor.

“Lance,” Keith croaked. 

“Well, look who’s up and at ‘em at the early hour of-” He glanced at the time on his laptop. “4:05pm! Good morning, sunshine!” Lance grinned up at him. 

“Can we talk?” Keith’s croaked again. His stomach growled loudly.

“Sounds like we need to get some food in you first. I’m guessing you skipped breakfast again,” Lance chided and got to his feet.

Keith sighed and sagged his shoulders. “Lance, I really gotta-”

“Keith, please eat first,” Lance cut him off and ushered him to the table. “No offense, but you’re a pill to talk to when you’re hangry.” 

Keith relented and fell into a chair at the table. Lance put Keith’s uneaten burrito on a plate and even peeled the tin foil wrapping back for him. Keith hated being catered to like that, hated how he felt like a useless manchild. But, there was also a little part of him that thought it was so sweet when Lance took care of him like that. 

Lance moved his phone and a stack of mail to the side and slid the plate in front of Keith. He placed a large glass of water and a small packet next to it too.

“I know you’re not hungover, but it looks like you could use the ibuprofen.” He kissed the top of Keith’s head then left him alone with his burrito. Keith munched in silence, finding a peaceful moment for the first time that day. 

Sustenance did the trick. Half of his burrito and most of the glass of water took the edge off his shattered nerves.

“Hey, can we talk when you’re done in there?” He called to Lance in the bathroom.

“I already saw the ticket, babe. It was under the burrito bag,” Lance called back. “Don’t worry, I’m working now so I can pay for it. It’s not a big deal.” The kindness in Lance’s voice stung. 

“Oh, it’s not about that…” Keith sighed though, knowing Lance would probably end up helping him pay for the ticket. There was a clunking sound from the bathroom. “What are you doing in there?” He asked.

“I’m- Ow! I’m going through the cabinet. Half of my products are dried out.”

Keith hummed in response and took another bite of his burrito. Something else hummed too - Lance’s phone one the table. It had been going off fairly regularly but Keith had been too braindead to pay it much attention.

“Hey Lance, your phone is going nuts.”

“Is it Instagram? I posted a cute pic of Red this morning.”

Keith looked at the most recent notification. “Yeah.”

“How many likes?” Lance’s voice rang from the hallway.

Keith picked up Lance’s phone and was met with a lock screen. “I don’t know. Your phone is locked.”

“Ten twenty-three,” Lance responded without hesitation.

Keith was halfway through entering it before he recognized the number. “Wait… Is that… my birthday?”

“You tell me, Einstein,” Lance laughed flirtatiously.

“Oh my god, Lance… Really?” A little burst of joy went off in Keith’s chest.

“Mmhmm. I think of you every time I unlock my phone,” Lance sang from the bathroom. “And I’m pretty much addicted to that thing, so that’s like, a lot.” The corners of Keith’s mouth lifted so much his face hurt. He blamed the rollercoaster of emotions he’d already experienced that day for why he was tearing up.

 _God, he’s such a sap._ Keith thought happily as he opened Instagram, but it was honestly one of the sweetest gestures in Keith’s recent memory. He sighed blissfully. _I love him so much._

In the bathroom, Lance was grinning big imaging how red-faced and flustered Keith must be. He’d unlocked his phone right in front of Keith so many times, trying to be super obvious about it, but his oblivious boyfriend had never caught on. Lance had been starting to think Keith didn’t remember his own birthday half the time and was thoroughly pleased with himself for finally dropping that little bomb on him.

“So how many likes?” He asked, still grinning.

“Twenty seven.”

“Nice! Good job, Red.”

“Hey, you’ve got like a dozen text messages too.”

“Ugh, yeah… I ended up on some spam list. They’ve been driving me crazy all morning,” Lance explained while he opened a tub of hair wax and prodded the cracked surface to see if it was still good. “I found a website though, that can supposedly get your number off lists like that.”

Out in the living room, Keith’s burrito had stopped halfway to his mouth. He squinted with confusion at what he was reading. His thumb scrolled quickly through a long, LONG thread of texts - far more than the dozen or so that he'd seen notifications for. Addresses, suggestions of places to meet, odd ramblings and some pretty explicit one-liners... None of it made any sense. Keith would have thought someone had the wrong number, but Lance’s name appeared in some of the texts. It almost looked like Lance had a secret life he didn't know about... Worry steadily increasing, Keith kept scrolling up and gasped when his eyes fell on an unapologetically lewd photo. Heart beating fast in his chest, he peered closer but couldn’t identify the faceless man in the picture. Keith didn’t know what the hell was going on but it most certainly did not look like spam. 

“Lance…”

“Yeah?” Lance shifted the five or so random beauty products he was clutching in one arm so he could shake a can of hairspray to figure out if it was empty. 

“Who’s Garrison boy?”

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh... He's baaaaack~ 
> 
> How are you feeling after hearing Shiro's side of things?
> 
> Here's what Lance's [Panda Face Mask](http://www.prettygossip.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Korean-Sheet-Mask-Panda-on-PrettyGossip.jpg) looks like. (Not that I expect you to remember the face mask even happened after the rest of that chapter...)
> 
> The song was 'Dreaming of You' by Selena ( _not_ Selena Gomez)
> 
>  
> 
> It's not required but you'll get more out of the next chapter if you've read [Lance and Lotor's backstory](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10841472/chapters/24067320). (Or just chapter 5 of it, 'the klance chapter'.) There will be some references to Please Sext Responsibly too. Sorry, as much as this is a story about threesomes and shklance, it's also part of an AU with an over-arching plot. There's some stuff I have to setup for the next installment. Please bear with me. ^ ^;
> 
> Next Chapter (I know some of you have been waiting for it!): **Garrison Boy**


	8. Garrison Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance finally tells Keith about a dark man from his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, some of you have been waiting for this chapter for a long time. Heck, *I've* been waiting for it for a long time!
> 
> Some details from past stories are relevant, but you should be able to follow without having read them. (Let me know if anything is unclear!)
> 
> Here are some quick summaries of relevant bits:
> 
> [PGFR](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10841472/chapters/24067320) \- Lance’s bisexual awakening/angst story. At 17, Lance used to sneak out of the Garrison to meet up with a nameless and seemingly powerful man at a club that was a real sketchfest. Though he had crushes on Keith and Shiro at the time, sneaking off seemed safer than risking anything at the Garrison where he'd seen how Keith got treated for being gay. Lance nicknamed the mysterious man ‘Silver’ because of the color of his long, flowing hair. There was an obvious power differential, and though Lance was into it because, hey, he was finally getting some action, there was some serious dub-con going on. And, of course, it wasn't going to end well. 
> 
> Lance opened up to Keith a bit about the whole situation but was vague about it. He and Keith nearly shared an intimate moment as a result of that conversation but Lance ran off to see Silver instead. That was the night everything went downhill. Lance ended up heartbroken and stranded and had to have Shiro come help him out of a tight spot. He shared some details with Shiro but never told anybody else. His friends thought he was sneaking off to see some secret girlfriend the whole time.
> 
> If you want the first time Lance almost told Keith about Lotor read [PGFR chapter 5](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10841472/chapters/25382748). It’s just early, pining klance, so you’re safe. They even almost kiss and some parts of that scene are pretty important in this chapter.
> 
> Oh yeah, and one time Hunk and Keith, Lance's dorm neighbors, thought they overheard him having sex. Yay, thin walls! But it was a misunderstanding because he was in there alone. On the phone. With Lotor. >_>  
> It's a real spicy fic ^ ^;;;;
> 
>  
> 
> [PSXTR](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11811015) \- One summer when Lance was away for an internship at JPL, Keith took a spicy photo for him... then accidentally sent it to Shiro too. And never told Lance about it. /facepalm
> 
>  
> 
> Anyways, on to this chapter. I HOPE YOU LIKE KLANCE BECAUSE DAMN. >_>  
> 

  


  


Lance was precariously holding three tubs of hair wax, a jar of face cream, one half empty canister of hairspray, and two other containers of unidentified beauty goop in his arms when something he couldn’t quite wrap his head around came out of his boyfriend’s mouth.

_Garrison boy._

The utterance hit him with unexpected force, a shockwave that knocked the air from his lungs and chilled him to the bone. Every muscle tensed in a head-to-toe, fight-or-flight response that left him clutching the items in his arms in a death grip.

How the hell did Keith know that name?

There was a faint ringing in his ears and a moment between an exhale and an inhale that stretched for impossibly long as his mind struggled to catch up to his body’s reflexive reaction. In the panicked microseconds that followed, his mind raced through a series of thoughts.

Keith.

Instagram. 

His phone. 

Text messages.

Text messages he’d never checked. 

There was no way… It couldn’t be… 

It was spam… It had to be spam!

But Lance knew in his heart of hearts that it wasn’t. 

It was…

 

_Him._

 

Everything in his arms crashed to the floor. He watched it happen, the world suddenly moving in slow motion, watched each one of the tubs bounce against the tiles, saw flecks of glass spray outwards as the jar of face cream shattered. The lid popped off the can of hairspray and Lance’s peeled-wide eyes followed it as it skittered behind the toilet. He pinched them shut when it moved out of view and heard his body try to rasp in a breath through constricted airways. His eyes opened again as his head turned to the bathroom doorway, and then, Lance ran. He couldn’t feel his legs or the rest of his body for that matter, but somehow he ran. Heavy-footed like in a dream, his feet carried him through a dark tunnel towards the pinpoint of light at the end of it. And that light, that sole point of focus was the phone in Keith’s hand.

“No, Keith! Don’t read that!” Lance snatched the portal to his deepest, darkest secrets away as soon as he was in the living room, the world suddenly returning to normal playback.

“Ow! Lance, what the hell?” Keith cried as the phone was ripped from his fingers.

Lance didn’t hear him, too consumed by what he was seeing on his screen. His hands shook as he thumbed through the texts.

_No…_

_No… no… no…_

_NO._

He choked on his own tongue as his worst fear was confirmed. It was unmistakable. He was back. And this time Keith knew about it. 

“...ance! LANCE!” Lance suddenly heard Keith yelling his name. His eyes snapped to him like a deer caught in the headlights. “Who is that?” Keith demanded with folded arms and a very displeased look on his face.

“I- I don’t want to tell you.” Lance backed up clutching his phone away from Keith with fear in his eyes. Keith couldn’t see. He couldn’t know.

“Lance!” Keith slammed his fist on the table. “Why is some guy texting you places to meet and sending you pictures of his dick?” 

“Oh god, you saw that…” Lance paled and brought a trembling hand to his mouth. 

“What the hell, Lance? Are you…” Keith’s stomach dropped. There was no way. Lance of all people would never... “Are you cheating on me?” His voice nearly failed him. He couldn’t believe he had to ask. “Lance? What the hell is going on? Lance!”

Lance was frozen. The edges of his vision blurred and the ringing in his ears became more pronounced. Keith was saying something, yelling at him even and flailing his arms animatedly. Lance was staring right at Keith’s mouth watching words fly out of it but couldn’t hear a sound. The pounding of his heart filled the lower registers of his hearing while the ringing overwhelmed the higher. He tried to but couldn't speak. Nor could he move. He didn’t know how he was still breathing. Suddenly, he realized, he wasn’t. He wasn’t breathing.

“I can’t breathe… Keith, I can’t breathe!” He mouthed while clutching his throat and looked at Keith in a panic.

Keith recognized what was happening and leapt to his boyfriend’s side just as Lance’s world went dark. 

 

 

The room was dark and claustrophobic and familiar in a way that filled Lance with dread. A smug laugh cut through the blackness, sending a shiver down his spine. _Click. Click. Click._ Boots echoed against the floor, announcing his arrival. A familiar presence loomed behind him. Lance shut his eyes, willing it away, but flashes of sweeping silver hair and strong hands lit up behind his eyelids. He fought to keep the visions out of his head but the memory of the soft fibers and nimble digits brushing across his naked skin set his heart racing. Goosebumps erupted across his arms, feeling the man’s presence come nearer, and a moment later a hand was on his face. Lance’s breath shuddered fondly at the touch but it burned like the coldest of ice. A creeping coldness spread through him emanating from the touchpoint, pulling him down into the sea in which he was drowning.

“Look at me, Lance.” Lance shuddered hearing that voice again. The man was forcing him to turn his head but Lance fought it. He didn’t want to look. He didn’t want to remember. 

“Lance.” The man’s voice boomed, overwhelming his senses, but there was another muffled sound behind it. Someone else saying his name. 

“Lance.” He heard it, louder this time.

And recognized it.

_Keith._

_No... Don’t look._

Tears streamed down Lance’s face, certain every sordid detail of his past mistakes would be revealed as the man’s presence grew stronger, enveloping him and making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. The grip on his jawbone strengthened. If Keith saw them like that... Smug laughter drowned out all other sounds as the man's presence poured through him, filling his entire being and putting it all on display for Keith to see. 

“Lance!”

Keith’s cry pulled him from the murky depths of his memories. The world drifted in and out hazily then snapped back into focus a moment later with startling clarity. Gasping through a feeling akin to whiplash, Lance came to with Keith standing in front of him cradling his face in his hands.

“Lance, look at me. You’re okay.” Keith’s expression strained with concern. 

Lance’s eyes darted around his surroundings. The living room. They were still in the living room. It felt like an untold amount of time had passed, yet they were standing in the same spot. Heart still racing and chased by the echoes of the man’s memory, Lance’s startled eyes met Keith's. 

“Shh. You’re okay.” Keith’s thumbs brushed across his cheeks. “Count to five with me.” Unable to speak, Lance clung to Keith’s wrists in affirmation.

“One. Two. Three.” Keith counted slowly. “ Look at me, Lance.” He reminded him when his eyes began to drift again. “Four. Five.” 

Lance’s lips mouthed the last numbers as Keith counted. 

“Breath in.” Lance did it and was surprised to find his lungs still worked. “Now let it go.”

“Again.” Keith instructed and they inhaled together. The haunting memories receded as Keith coached him through another breath but Lance’s thoughts still raced. 

“Here. Touch my hand.” Keith held up one hand. Lance hesitantly pressed his fingers to Keith’s palm. “Good.” Keith smiled worriedly. “And the other one. Over here. Now here.” He moved his hands unpredictably in front of Lance like they were playing a variation of patty cake. It took all of Lance’s focus. Gradually, he felt his heart thudding in his chest less and less.

“Now touch my nose,” Keith encouraged. Lance’s shaking finger managed to connect with Keith’s nose. He even smiled a bit when he did it, making Keith heave a sigh of relief. 

“You okay?” He asked gently, taking Lance by the elbows. Lance nodded weakly.

“Sorry, I dunno what happened…” He clutched his chest, afraid his lungs would stop working again at any moment.

“You had a panic attack by the looks of it.”

“Is that what that was?” Lance heaved, still vibrating with residual adrenaline.

“Shiro used to get them, back at the Garrison. For a couple years after that thing with the Galra.” 

Lance stiffened at the mention of the Galra but didn’t say anything. 

“Wait, where's my phone?” He asked, panic rising again.

“There.” Keith pointed to the coffee table where he’d safely set it aside. “I didn't look at it,” he added quickly.

Lance swiped his phone off the low table and checked it again just in case he'd imagined the whole thing. He cursed quietly to himself when it was proven that he hadn't. Slowly, he turned back to Keith, who waited patiently, looking much calmer than before.

“Lance… I’m pretty sure you’re not, but just to shut my paranoia up, you’re not cheating on me, right?” Keith asked.

“Keith, no!” Lance cried. Trembling, he dropped onto the edge of the couch and clutched his phone in both hands. “God, no.” Keith carefully sat down next to him and put a soft hand on his back.

“So what’s going on?” Keith’s tone switched to one of concern. “Who is that?”

Lance groaned to himself, dreading telling Keith who was on the other end of those texts. 

“Remember that time at the diner like right after we nearly broke up, when I was trying to make you jealous and I said I had a crazy ex?”

“Maybe? Sort of?” Keith dragged his memory. It wasn't the most important detail of that day.

“Well…” Lance nodded at the phone.

“Okay, so block him!” Keith said like it was obvious. “Block him right now!”

“I can’t! It’s a restricted number!” Lance shouted louder than he meant to, still on edge.

Keith sat up straighter, stricken with concern. He’d never seen Lance so shaken up before. His boyfriend was shivering mess next to him, his palm trembling and sweaty in his own. He stroked his thumb over Lance’s hand to soothe him while a furious fire raged inside him. Who had done this to him? Keith wanted answers.

“Lance, what happened with this guy?” Keith asked carefully. “Why are you so scared of him?”

“I’m not scared!” Lance insisted. Keith begged to differ but didn't push the issue. “I just… I never wanted you to know about him.”

“Why?” Keith asked, though he was afraid of the answer.

Lance pulled away from Keith and hugged his elbows. “I don’t know if I can tell you.”

“You can tell me anything, you know that right?” Keith shifted closer and wrapped an arm around him.

“I know but… It's dumb.” Lance looked at him anxiously but Keith’s eyes were soft with understanding and urged him on. “Promise you won’t look at me differently?”

“Lance...” Keith gently stroked his hair.

Lance drew a heavy breath, trying to figure out where to begin. Against his better judgement and in spite of many promises he’d made to himself, he was going to explain his biggest mistake to Keith.

“Well, what happened is-” Lance quickly lost his nerve. He took a breath and tried again. "It might be better to say..." He choked again. He bit his lip and looked at Keith. "Sorry, it's just- I've never told anyone before."

“Hey,” Keith took his hand. "It's okay. You don't have to if-"

“Oh, Keith..." Lance's shoulder slumped with a groan. He did, he wanted to tell him. "I made a bad decision once. Shocking, I know!” Lance started with self-deprecating snark. “Well, I guess it was more like a series of bad decisions… Of course, I thought they were great decisions at the time.” He forced a sideways grin trying to fight his nerves with humor.

“You dated this guy?” Keith glanced warily at Lance’s phone.

“Yeah- No… Well, maybe. Um...” Keith already looked confused but Lance didn’t know what to call it. It had been more than just a hookup. There were definitely feelings involved, at least on his part, but then again, they never actually saw each other outside of a dark room hidden away in the back of a club. Calling something so clandestine a relationship hardly seemed appropriate. 

“It was more of an experiment, I guess." He settled on neutral middle-ground. "At least it started that way. I was still figuring some things out about myself and wanted to try messing around with a guy to, ya know… be sure.” He looked at Keith meaningfully. “And the Garrison didn’t feel like a safe place to do that - I saw how people treated you - so I looked elsewhere.” He didn’t say where. The hovel that was the Galra-run sex club and drug den better known as Empire G was a detail best left glossed over. “And I met this guy and he... I…” He looked at Keith worried. “Ugh, this is gonna sound like a bad TV movie, but he was the first guy I ever did anything with. Heck, he was the first guy I ever kissed.” Lance sighed heavily. “And I fell _way_ too hard.” Keith smiled sympathetically. His boyfriend always did fall in head first. 

“It was good for a while, or so I thought. Sometimes he was even kind of sweet.” Lance’s face softened momentarily, remembering some of their better moments. “But in hindsight...” His eyes widened fearfully. “There were a lot of red flags. Like, he did some fucked up things to me! Things that, at the time, I didn’t even know were... _things_. And oh god, the mind games he played...” Lance dragged his fingers through his hair remembering how frustrated and confused he’d felt trying to decipher the man's mixed signals and how it always felt like they were playing by a set of rules he wasn’t privy to. “It was weird and risky and I knew it wasn't going to end well…” He paused, grimacing quietly into the floor as he struggled to find the courage to continue. “But he _wanted_ me, Keith.” He brought his eyes up to his boyfriend, pleading for understanding. “No one had ever wanted me before and he wanted _me_. You don’t understand how good that felt! It was addicting! Even when I knew I shouldn’t, I-” Lance’s hands grasped at nothing then balled into fists. “I couldn't stop!” His voice strained.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Keith made slow circles on his back to calm him. Lance covered his eyes and took a moment to collect himself.

“I thought we had something special but…” He shook his head and rolled his eyes as his naiveté. “It wasn’t what I thought. I was just a toy to him. He even told me that to my face but I still believed that maybe he might...” He broke mid-thought to laugh wryly at himself. “I mean who could actually love me, right?”

“Lance...” Keith breathlessly squeezed his hand. The story was already breaking his heart.

“I know, I know. It’s just what I thought at the time.” He squeezed Keith’s hand back and gave him a small smile before continuing.

“So, me and Sil-" He almost slipped and used the cute name he'd given him but decided against it. He didn't want to say it again. That man didn't deserve that name anymore. "Me and _this guy_..." He corrected. "We hooked up, like _a lot_ , but the weird thing was - and I could never figure out why - but he never tried to fuck me.” Keith tilted his head with surprise. “It might have been part of some game he was playing that I didn’t understand, but I wanted it. Oh, I wanted it _so bad._ ” His voice deepened with want. “And then finally, there was this one night where things were somehow different,” Lance almost smiled, remembering with a flicker of warmth how he’d finally gotten the man to lower his defenses. “It was finally going happen and it seemed like it was going to be just… just so perfect.” He smiled with a sadness in his eyes. “Shut up, I know I’m a sap!” Lance snapped at the sympathetic huff that came from the man next to him. Keith's face pained at how sweet Lance was. He could just imagine a younger, more naive Lance wearing his heart on his sleeve and handing it to whoever this monster was. “Anyways, something happened right before and it... I don't know, something changed. He changed.” 

“What happened?” Keith found himself enthralled in the story, but Lance just shook his head at the question.

“It doesn’t matter, but after that, it just- it wasn’t-” Lance struggled to find the right word for how the man had flown off the handle at a seemingly trivial detail and then fucked him out of spite of it. “Well, it wasn’t how it was supposed to be,” he smiled weakly at the oversimplification. “It was pretty awful,” he added with quiet honesty.

“My first time wasn’t great either,” Keith admitted in solidarity.

“Trust me, Keith, this was on another level. He scared me off bottoming so bad I didn’t even try it again until you.” He held Keith’s gaze as long as he could before he was too embarrassed for eye contact. 

Keith’s face shadowed with anger. “What did he do to you?” He growled. “Who is this guy? I’ll kick his ass!” Keith was ready to fight but Lance gently pushed his hands back down.

“Nothing, alright. It was just… rough and humiliating and… heartbreaking.” Lance caught himself choking back tears. “And I don’t get it. I still don’t get why he would-” His voice cracked. It wasn’t the roughness that fueled Lance's tears. It was how the man had completely shut him out after, showing him no emotion other than annoyed indifference and refusing to even call him by his name. Lance had laid his heart out for him and he'd stepped on it. Intentionally. “I’ve been rejected a lot, but that one really hurt." Lance finally wiped his eyes as they threatened to spill over. "God, I felt so stupid.” 

“I’m sorry…” Keith said softly.

“Whatever.” Lance waved it off. “It's not like I think about him anymore. And it was basically over after that. Ya boy was hit and quit!” He laughed through a thinly veiled attempt to hide his pain, but it didn’t fool Keith. “Humped and dumped! Used and snoozed! Tapped and scrap- ”

“Stop!” Keith begged him. He couldn’t take Lance making light of it when it was so clearly still causing him pain. “You never told anyone about this? Not even Hunk?”

Lance shook his head. “Well, Shiro kinda knows. But only because he had to come pick me up after. My ass was kicked to the curb in this skeevy part of town and I didn’t have any way to get home, and ugh, it was a whole thing.” He cringed through a pained smile. “I’m really glad he was there though.”

“Shiro?” That detail caught Keith’s attention. “Wait, when did this-”

“Honestly I wish I could forget the whole ever happened.” Lance quickly kept talking. “But he keeps texting me!” He gripped his phone with both hands, glaring at it like he was trying to will the man’s presence out of it. “It’s like he wants me to remember!”

“Or he wants you back…” Keith said, uneasy.

“Pffff. More likely he just gets off on it,” Lance huffed. “If he cared he never would have-” A heave of his chest caught him off guard. He clenched his teeth and forced himself not to cry. That man was not worth his tears. 

Keith held his boyfriend’s hand tightly, at a complete loss for what to say. 

Lance supposed it was enough for Keith to get the gist of it, but he still felt guilty. He’d left out the fucked up circumstances in which they’d met and the emotional manipulation that had followed. How even after the man had been rough and unkind Lance had still begged him not to go. And he didn’t know what he was more ashamed of, that he’d found out after-the-fact that the man was a Galra gang leader, or that he’d unquestioningly - _willingly_ \- walked into what was so obviously a trap over and over again. Keith didn’t need to hear those parts.

“Well there ya go.” Lance shrugged helplessly. “There’s my stupid sob story about losing my virginity.” 

“It’s not stupid.” Keith said softly. His heart was breaking for Lance.

“Maybe I should call it _How to be young and dumb and in way over your head - a Lance McClain exclusive._ ” He gestured grandly at the open air in front of him, like he was reading it in lights, then laughed at his own expense. Keith didn’t join him.

It was an overwhelming amount of information but there were some parts that stuck out to Keith. Things that sounded oddly familiar.

“Young…” Keith looked at him skeptically, letting his thoughts crystallize around that word. “How young?”

Lance looked at him carefully before answering. He’d intentionally left out some details in the hopes that Keith wouldn’t figure it out.

“Um, eighteen… almost.” He smiled weakly, knowing he was giving himself away. Keith’s jaw dropped.

“IS THIS GUY YOUR MYSTERY GIRLFRIEND? THE ONE YOU KEPT SNEAKING OFF TO SEE AT THE GARRISON?!”

Lance groaned with his face in his hands and nodded.

“Lance, what the fuck! That was like seven years ago! He’s been texting you all this time?”

“No! Well, kind of… It was always super intermittent and I hadn’t heard from him in months so...” Lance's hands waffled uselessly.

“Whoa, you’ve had some crazy guy- no, a fucking _stalker ex_ texting you for years and you never said anything?” Keith pulled back from him, shocked and angry and frankly, hurt. First Shiro, and now, Lance? Did nobody tell him anything anymore?

“Keith, I’ve never responded. Not once. Not even to tell him to fuck off.” Lance’s honest blue eyes were on him, begging for understanding. He put his phone in front of Keith and scrolled through the conversation so he could see for himself. “See? He doesn’t even know I’m getting the messages and I don’t want him to!” Lance pushed the phone into Keith’s hands, not wanting to look at it anymore, and slumped back on the couch. “I honestly wanted to pretend it wasn’t happening at all.”

Keith continued scrolling through the one-sided conversation, shaking his head at some of the messages and the timestamps that dated back years.

“You really liked this guy. I remember...” Keith sounded hurt.

“Yeah, well I don’t like him anymore,” Lance snorted. 

“You ran away from me to go see him…” 

“Keith…” It was true. Lance remembered leaving Keith standing alone in the hallway moments after they’d very nearly crossed the line from friends to something more. But he’d run, literally _run_ , away from Keith to catch a bus instead - the last bus he ever took to Empire G, on the last night he ever saw Silver. By the look on Keith’s face, he’d taken that blow harder than Lance had thought.

“You know I nearly kissed you that night, right?” Lance tried to make him feel better. “But I was too scared to.”

Keith looked at him awestruck.

“I knew it!” He exploded. “I fucking _knew_ it! Ugh!” Keith looked at him both pissed and vindicated. “I thought I was crazy, especially after you ditched me for… for _him!_ ” He pointed indignantly at Lance’s phone.

“I wish I hadn’t. I wish I’d stayed with you.” It was the dumbest decision of his life not to. Lance could not recall ever experiencing a more sincere sentiment. 

Keith set Lance’s phone down firmly on the couch between them and crossed his arms. 

“So what’s his name?” He asked.

“Ah- Keith, it was seven years ago.” Lance looked at him like it wasn’t a good idea to comb through the details.

“This guy you ditched me for, I want to know his name,” he pressed.

Lance shifted uncomfortably. “It’s kind of awkward, but I’m not actually sure…” The man had withheld name until the last night and even then, ‘Lotor’ didn’t sound like a real name. He cringed at how dumbfounded Keith looked.

“You ran off on me and you- you didn’t even know his name?!”

“It was complicated…” Lance tried to explain.

“Unbelievable,” Keith huffed, thoroughly unimpressed. “How did you meet him?” He demanded. Lance winced again.

“Uh, Well... I got this fake ID and... Ya know, it’s kind of a fucked up story…” Lance tried to get out of answering but the intensity burning in Keith’s eyes pushed him to continue. “I guess you could say I met him at a club.” He grimaced at the half-truth but Keith seemed to accept the explanation.

“Why does he call you Garrison boy?”

Anxiety put Lance’s heart in a vice. “I- I- I can’t…” Lance found himself choking on his words. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Keith where that awful, awful nickname came from. How the man spat it with such derision once he’d learned Lance was from the Garrison. How that had been the reason everything had gone bad. How it hinged on the man being a Galra kingpin and a secret territory truce that had been struck between the Galra and the Garrison. And after what that gang had done to Shiro, Lance was too ashamed to admit that part to Keith. “Look, I’ll tell you the whole story one day, I just don’t think I can relive it right now,” he said wearily. “Jut know that it’s not a term of endearment.” Bitterness crept into his voice.

Keith nodded reluctantly and backed off.

“So then, he’s the phone sex guy too…” Keith groaned. “That time I thought I heard you-”

“Yep. Yep, that’s him.” Lance cut him off quickly, not wanting to recount how embarrassingly thin the Garrison dorm walls were.

“Sounds like he has a real phone kink,” Keith snorted.

“Yeah, he had a kink or two all right,” Lance laughed, making Keith’s chest puff up. He folded his arms again and looked at Lance miffed. His peeved expression shifted to one of confusion because of the odd face his boyfriend was making, almost like he was holding his breath. “What the hell, are you smiling?”

“I swear, I’m trying not to…” Lance let his grin burst forth. “I’m sorry, babe, it’s just... you’re so jealous right now! You’re all ‘Who is he? How did you meet him? Why does he call you that?’” Lance imitated then grinned broadly again. “I knew I could do it! I knew I could make you jealous!”

Keith looked offended. 

“I am _not_ jealous!” He insisted.

Lance gave him his best ‘oh really’ face.

“Of some texting creep? Come on!” Keith scoffed like it was ridiculous. “I just don’t even know who this guy is or what he’s been saying to you!” Lance leaned his chin in his hand and waited for Keith to figure it out on his own. “Like, he thinks he can text you whenever he wants and what, you’re gonna run off with him again? It's fucked up!” Keith threw his arms up. “It’s fucked up that there’s some guy out there creeping on my boyfriend! And you already picked him over me once so…” His nostrils flared as he drew a furious breath. “I hate him!" He spat. "I hate him and I wanna punch him right in his fucking- oh shit...” Keith looked at Lance like he’d been caught red-handed. Lance put a hand over his heart and beamed with love. 

“Oh my sweet, sweet Keithy Keith. I always knew you cared.” Lance stole a kiss off his disgruntled boyfriend’s cheek.

“God... Fine. I’m jealous,” he admitted reluctantly then threw his head back over the couch and sighed with frustration. “I was jealous of him seven years ago and I’m jealous of him now.” He rolled his head to the side to look at Lance, a painful longing in his eyes. “But he had you years before I did.” 

The way his face twisted nearly broke Lance’s heart.

“You have me now though,” Lance said as loud as his choked up voice would let him and reached out to touch Keith’s hand.

Keith silently mouthed ‘yeah’ but looked on the edge of tears. Lance scooted closer to him.

“Hey, it wasn’t a real relationship or anything. We mostly just did a bunch of crazy sex stuff,” he said without thinking.

“Lance!” Keith shrieked and clamped his hands over his ears. “I don’t wanna hear that!” 

“Sorry,” Lance chuckled with amusement and wrapped an arm around him. “But really, he's nothing, okay? Just a crazy ex and a major annoyance.” He kissed up Keith’s neck. “I have everything I need right here.”

Keith pulled away from him.

“Then why did you keep it?” He asked quietly.

“Keep what?”

“That _picture_ he sent you.”

“Oh, um...” Lance said, flustered. “Evidence. In case I ever need it…”

Keith looked at him fearfully. “Whoa, why would you need- You think he’s gonna try something?” 

“Nah.” Lance waved it off. “I think if he was it would’ve happened already.”

“Will you delete it?”

“Yeah, of course!” Lance quickly grabbed his phone and deleted it without hesitation right in front of Keith. “There. Gone. Just like him.”

Keith relaxed visibly but still looked sad. 

A way to cheer him up popped into Lance’s head.

“Hey, wanna see something more interesting on my phone.” Lance smiled to himself and took a minute, tapping and scrolling and not letting Keith see until he found what he was looking for.

“Here.” He passed Keith the device. “I took these for you when I was at JPL last summer.”

Keith sat up fast, curling over the phone, and gawked in amazement at the gallery containing photos of Lance in nothing but a lab coat, goggles, and some strategically placed lab equipment.

“Why didn’t you send me these?!”

“I dunno…" Lance shrugged. "They didn’t quite look good enough.” 

Keith thumbed through the photos in amazement. Lance knew how to work angles, alright. And lighting and how to position his body. It was breathtaking. 

“Lance you look like a model!”

“Really?” He was overjoyed at the appraisal.

“Wait…” Keith peered closer to take in the background. Beakers, chemicals, machinery... 

“Did you take these _in your lab?_ You could have gotten fired!”

“Eh,” Lance shrugged again. “Then I could’ve come home and seen you sooner,” he snickered.

“I can’t believe you never sent these…” Keith’s grin slowly faded. There was something he'd never told Lance that happened that summer. Something involving a certain mishap with a risqué photo of his own. And after Lance had just shared with him an uncomfortable episode from his past, Keith knew what he had to do. “Lance… That summer- That photo I sent you, I-” Keith cringed at him painfully. “I accidentally sent it to Shiro too.”

“What?” Lance’s face turned serious. 

“I _swear_ it was an accident,” Keith pleaded for understanding. “And I freaked out about it for days!”

“Uh, okay… I believe you,” Lance said kindly as he took his phone back but Keith could tell he was hurt. “You explained it to him right?”

“Yeah, I did. But not before he…” Keith swallowed the uncomfortable lump in his throat. “Responded.”

Lance looked at him confused. Keith gestured with his eyes until Lance understood.

“He sent you a picture? Of himself?” Lance gaped. 

Keith nodded. 

“Whoa…” Lance rubbed his brow. “That’s- I dunno how I feel about that. That’s kind of not okay. Like not okay at all! Was he naked?”

“Here just look.” Keith pulled up the picture and handed over his phone.

Lance looked at the photo of Shiro in a bath towel for two seconds before cracking up. “Pfffffffff. Keith!” He dropped Keith’s phone from his face. “Oh, you’re so sweet. I love you so much.” He kissed the sides of Keith’s head while bear hugging him.

“What?” Keith protested his laughter.

“Babe, this is the goofiest sext I’ve ever seen in my life. Look at that cheesy wink!” He pointed at it and laughed again.

“Yeah? So?”

“There’s no way in hell this was meant to be serious. You really think this is the best Shiro can do? Have you not seen his go-go flyers?”

“Uh…” Keith still wasn’t following.

“Babe, I’m pretty sure he was making fun of you. Like, why would you send a picture like that to Shiro anyway? He probably figured out what happened and thought this would be funny.”

“Oh…” Keith said quietly. Well, that was certainly one way to look at it.

“And I mean, it kinda is,” Lance laughed then turned more serious. “But you probably should have told me sooner if you were worried about it.”

“Yeah… sorry,” Keith mumbled, embarrassed with himself. It hurt how disappointed Lance looked too. “Hey, can you um, send me one of those pictures of you?” He asked shyly and was pleased to see Lance immediately perk up.

“Sure, babe. Though I mean, I’m right here. You could have me naked in-person if you wanted.” Lance put one hand behind his head and struck a flirty pose.

“But I want the picture for when you’re not here,” Keith smirked back.

“Mr. Kogane…” Lance waggled his eyebrows and sent him the photo. 

Keith’s phone chimed when it arrived and he looked at Lance with a sneaky grin. 

“Hey, can I see for your phone again for a second?”

“Sure.” Lance handed it over. “Wait, what are you doing?” He peered over Keith’s shoulder.

“Putting it on your Instagram,” Keith said nonchalantly.

“WHAT?!” Keith dodged Lance’s swipe for the phone and ran away to the kitchen cackling.

“I bet it gets more likes than your picture with Red!” 

“KEITH! DON’T YOU DARE!” Lance chased after him. “THAT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION!” He shouted as he cornered Keith near the sink.

“Hashtag hottie... Am I doing this right?” Keith feigned innocence and dangled his pointer finger over the phone with a mischievous look on his face, threatening to post it if Lance came any closer.

“Ah- Keith, you don't even know what filter to use!” 

“Hey, come on. You know I wouldn’t.” He stopped when Lance actually looked worried.

“I dunno, you can be pretty bad, Kogane.” Lance stepped closer, bumping their noses together as a distraction then made another grab for his phone. Keith pulled it out of reach again.

“I’ll give it back if you push me against the counter.” Keith flicked his eyebrows. Lance’s eyes lit up. With one hand at Keith’s hip and the other around the phone still tightly clasped in his boyfriend’s hand, Lance stepped him back. He giggled at they way Keith gasped when his back hit granite. Brushing his cheek against Keith’s, he slotted their legs and pressed their bodies together.

“Like this?” He asked smugly then sucked a wet patch just beneath Keith’s jaw. There was a soft sigh and Keith’s hand released the phone in response.

“I like this game,” Lance said with a cheeky grin as he tucked his phone in his back pocket. “What’s next?”

Keith’s face softened as he looked at Lance, his expression almost verging on pain.

“Kiss me like you would have seven years ago, if-” His quiet voice broke with a nervous breath. “If you’d stayed...” He trailed off to barely audible whisper. 

Lance was left slack-jawed and breathless by the request and the aura of hurt in Keith’s eyes that came with it.

 _Holy crow…_ He gasped to himself. For a fleeting moment he was seventeen again, back in the Garrison dorms with a teenage Keith and suddenly terrified of how close they were standing. Keith wore the same unsure expression as he had many years prior, as if he was trying to read Lance for something but not sure that the words were there. 

Lance swallowed to steady his re-awakened nerves.

_If I'd stayed…_

He immediately grabbed a handful of the straggly bits of hair at the back of Keith's head and slowly firmed his grip around the strands, remembering how they used to taunt him in his classes and in their study sessions, just begging to be tugged. Keith gasped in surprise but didn’t protest and even leaned into Lance’s hand. 

“Oh yeah, I always wanted to do that,” Lance snickered at his reaction.

“That’s not what I asked you to do,” Keith smirked with his head pulled back slightly at Lance’s doing. 

“Calm down, I’m getting to it.” He released his fist and massaged his fingers along Keith’s scalp while putting himself back in a teenage mental space. From how risky it suddenly felt to actually be touching Keith, let alone kiss him, it seemed to be working. Keith looked up at him beneath hooded lids, a soft but uncertain smile flickering on his parted lips, and it set Lance’s nerves on fire. A look like that would have been lethal at seventeen.

“I was so nervous around you…” Lance admitted hoping it would somehow make him braver as he tentatively moved closer. He dragged his nose across Keith’s cheek and brushed their noses together. Keith gripped the edges of the counter - a dorm room desk in his mind - to steady himself. Shallow breath meshed as their mouths neared.

“I’m real scared to do this, Mullet...” Lance whispered, finding he didn't have to feign trueness to his teenage self at all, though he half expected Keith to laugh at the old nickname. 

He didn't.

“I’m scared too, McClain,” Keith whispered back in a rare moment of vulnerability.

Suppressing a grin at the go-ahead, Lance gently tilted Keith’s head up, cradling the side of his face, and let his mouth find the swell of Keith’s lips. Slowly, timidly, and burning up with heat but hindered by nerves remembered, their lips moved together in their first kiss that never was.

Lance gently brushed Keith’s mouth with his tongue as he reset his lips, savoring the taste of a path not taken. His boldness was rewarded. Keith moaned softly and melted into him. Keith was completely lost in the moment, finding everything he’d wanted at seventeen in Lance's mouth and then some. And Lance knew it too by the soft gasp he gave up when their lips broke. 

Lance pulled back to stare at Keith, their eyes meeting with a mix of terror and hunger, a reflection of their past selves. Lance braced himself for Keith to shove him away or sock him in the arm because that’s what he expected would have happened if he’d ever tried to kiss him at the Garrison. But Keith stood quietly before him, his eyes damp, vibrant, and fixed unblinkingly on him. Confidence bolstered, Lance cocked his head with a satisfied grin then surged forward, propelled by remnants of teenage lust into another kiss. Fueled by a long-burning fire of his own, Keith met him halfway.

Shyness and hesitation went out the window. A mess of mashing lips, darting tongues, and clumsily grasping hands, they were two teenagers kissing like the apocalypse was nigh. Lance left a wet trail of open-mouthed kisses down Keith’s neck that made him keen then frantically search for Lance’s mouth again. As the frenzied moment dwindled, their lips pressed firmly together again through a shared, long-held breath that left them both gasping.

Lance softly kissed Keith’s lips once more and the tip of his nose too before pulling back. Keith hunched forward grasping at the bottom of Lance's shirt like the wind had been knocked out of him. From the way his shoulders heaved Lance wasn’t sure if he was crying or just breathing heavily and didn’t move him to check. He smiled affectionately and rubbed Keith’s back.

“I think it would have been something like that,” Lance stated, brimming with self-assured pride.

Keith let out a muted snort at the declaration but didn't move. “There’s no way you were that good a kisser at seventeen.”

“Tch. You don’t know that, Mullet.” Lance pulled Keith up so he could wrap him in his arms.

“Stay, okay?” Keith's arms tightened around him with urgency, evidently still locked in his seventeen year-old self. “Please stay.”

“Jeez, Mullet. Pipe down,” Lance teased, though his voice came out too soft for it after seeing Keith so affected. He planted a kiss in his dark hair then nestled his head next to Keith’s. “Of course I'm gonna stay.” A pang of guilt left Lance’s heart aching as he made a promise he'd already broken seven years prior. 

“I’ll always stay.” He hugged Keith fiercely and renewed that vow, swearing on his life that this time it would go unbroken. Lance settled in, prepared to hold Keith as long as was necessary for him to believe it too.

 

 

 

Lance kissed Keith’s head, narrowly missing the gaming headset strapped to his ears. Keith glanced up at him fondly from the desk chair where he sat in front of their shared gaming rig. Keith had said there was something else he wanted to talk about but wouldn’t say what, even after Lance had pressed, claiming he needed to decompress first. After their last conversation and all the emotions it had sparked, Lance didn’t blame him. Casting one last smile back, Lance left Keith in the bedroom to ‘blow shit up’ with Hunk and Pidge.

He settled onto the couch in the living room, feeling strangely at peace now that parts of his past were out in the open. There was just one more loose thread to tidy. Lance pulled out his phone and listened once more to make sure Keith wasn’t getting up anytime soon. A string of under-the-breath swear words followed by the frantic mashing of keys floated out of the bedroom. Confident that he had some time to himself, Lance typed a short message. He may have finally stayed, but it was time for someone else to go. With that thought in mind, Lance resolutely pressed send. 

 

\----Lance-: new phone, who dis?

 

Not taking his eyes off the screen, Lance waited. Heart pulsing in his throat, he waited and nearly jumped out of his skin when the reply came not a minute later.

 

-Restricted-: You know very well who ‘dis’ is, Garrison boy.

 

A chill passed through Lance. He almost didn’t want to touch his phone anymore. It felt somehow tainted, but he stuck to his plan.

 

\-----Lance-: sorry bruh idk who dat be  
\-----Lance-: new number

-Restricted-: As if I’d fall for that. *eyeroll emoji*

 

The reply was almost instantaneous and it made Lance’s skin crawl. He dropped the charade. 

 

\-----Lance-: stop texting me 

-Restricted-: Hah.  
-Restricted-: You don’t want me to stop, Garrison boy. 

\-----Lance-: yeah, actually i do

-Restricted-: There’s really no part of you that wants to come back?  
-Restricted-: No part of you that misses it?  
-Restricted-: As much as you may not want to admit it, I know there is.

\-----Lance-: fuck off, you creep

 

Lance could feel his pulse in his ears and his breathing was already heightened.

 

-Restricted-: Come and see me first. Just to talk. Nothing more.

\-----Lance-: no

-Restricted-: Lance…

\-----Lance-: STOP. CONTACTING. ME. 

 

Lance stared daggers as his screen. His knuckles turned white at its edges as he dragged annoyed breath between his teeth. He wasn’t interested. Surely he’d gotten that point across and this would all finally be over. 

His phone vibrated in his hand not seconds later. Lance gasped loudly as the words ‘incoming call’ appeared on his screen and nearly fainted when ‘from: -Restricted-’ appeared next. He didn’t answer it, too much in a state of shock to do anything but stare at it helplessly. He never expected him to call. Answering seemed like a slippery slope but... 

The call passed to voicemail before he’d figured out what to do.

 

-Restricted-: Answer me, Garrison boy.

 

Lance drew in a shaky breath to steady his even shakier hands and glanced towards the bedroom where Keith was still engrossed in his game. Enough was enough. It was time to get rid of this guy for good.

 

\-----Lance-: Fine.

\-----Lance-: You call. I'll answer.

 

Jaw set with determination, Lance got up from the couch and put on his shoes. His phone hummed again with another call as he quietly slipped out the door.

He let it ring a few more times, making his way safely to the sidewalk first. Under the cover of night and well out of earshot of Keith, Lance answered.

“What the fuck do you want?” He snarled. 

There was static on the line. Lance’s furious breath echoed through the phone back into his own ear. It didn’t sound like anyone was there. He even glanced at his screen to make sure the call had connected.

“H- Hello?” He asked the silence.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my favorite Garrison boy.” Lance recognized the sultry timbre instantly. Goosebumps rose on his skin as it invaded his aural cavities. The slow, deliberate way the man spoke was as familiar as if he'd heard it yesterday.

“I said, what the fuck do you want,” Lance spat again, intent on keeping the panic out of his voice. 

“All these years…” The man laughed like he was amused at a clever volley returned in a friendly game. “All these years you’ve been getting my messages and you never told me.” He sighed dramatically with disappointment. Lance knew better. Everything was an act with this guy.

“I’m not playing games anymore. Fuck off, Lotor, if that’s even your real name.” 

A thick silence followed.

“That is my name, Lance. I never lied to you.” The response was slow and breathy and eerily sincere. “Though I always liked hearing you call me Silver.” His voice dripped with dark nostalgia.

“Cool. Good talk,” Lance snarked at the attempted sincerity.

“Lance…” Lance’s dick jumped at how the man purred and stretched out his name and he hated himself for it. He’d been trained to associate this man with sex and apparently his body hadn’t forgotten.

Lance grit his teeth. “Fuck the hell off with that shit.”

“Ooh, fighting words,” the man crooned. “Most impressive.” Lance’s heart leapt at the compliment and he immediately berated himself for it.

“You know, things have changed since you left, Lance.”

“I didn’t leave. You kicked me out.”

The man hummed. “Well in any case, after I took control from my father, some adjustments were made. We operate differently now.”

“Oh yeah? I bet you still have that creepy dungeon of a back room,” Lance snorted. Lotor was trying to impress him and it wasn’t going to work.

“No, Lance. I have a penthouse now.” Lance raised his eyebrow in surprise. “The Komar District, Empire G…” He huffed dismissively. “Those days are long since over due to some of my… restructuring.” Lotor took a calculated pause before continuing. “But as I was saying, we, the Galra, do good now. We give back what we take. Thanks to my leadership, we’re more of a business organization now than a gang.” Lance caught himself listening, caught himself wanting to hear more. He very nearly asked a question before he realized what was happening. He mentally backpedaled fast. Oh no. No, no, no. This wasn’t supposed to be a conversation! It wasn’t supposed to be a reconnection! And yet, somehow this guy had managed to twist it into just that. Lance’s mind reeled, furious with himself for almost getting sucked back in without even realizing it. He should have known not to trust himself. Why did this guy have such a power over him? 

“And Lance, I think that you’ll find-”

“No, stop.” Lance tried to cut him off while he still could.

“That at the heart of our organization-” The man kept talking.

“I don’t want to hear it!”

“We've fostered a certain morality-”

“ _Silver!_ ” He snapped and the man’s words were cut short by a sharp intake of air that, though faint, was not hidden well enough to go unnoticed. Lance heard it and fought to shove down the weird, fluttering feeling it unleashed in his chest. “You blew it, okay? You blew it.” He reiterated to convince himself of it too. “Now stay out of my life!”

There was a heavy silence on the other end.

“Lance…” His tone shifted, abdicating its air of arrogance. “I would like to see you again.” 

Lance was worried. So very worried, because there was a sincerity, a softness in Lotor’s voice that could not possibly have been an act and it almost made him feel sympathy - _sympathy!_ \- for him. 

“Come and see me once more and if you aren’t convinced, you have my word that you’ll never hear from me again.” 

Lance took a careful breath, weighing his options. A part of him was tempted to do it just to get rid of him forever, but Lance knew all too well that that wasn’t how it worked. 

“Lot- Silver...” He used the pet name for sincerity. “You’re too late. It’s over. It was over the moment you kicked me out.” He was kind but firm. “You gotta leave me alone now, okay?” A plea crept into Lance’s voice. 

A long, static-filled silence followed. Lance almost thought the call had dropped. Finally there was an audible sigh.

“Very well.” The man sounded vaguely saddened. Believably so. “Though I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but you have my word- the texts will stop.”

A wave of relief washed over Lance.

“Thank you...” He sighed, pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the man was being. Maybe he really had changed.

“Well, I suppose that’s it then.” The man’s voice shifted with a smug, verging-on-victorious chuckle. “For now.” Lance tensed hearing a scheming grin behind his words. “So until we meet again- And we _will_ meet again, Garrison boy!” The domineering edge returned to his voice but Lance refused to be intimidated by it.

“Pfff, good luck with that 'cause you’d have to find me first,” he stupidly called the bluff.

“Oh, Lance…” Lotor laughed patronizingly. “I already have.” 

Lance’s relief from moments ago receded like a wave being pulled back from shore and was replaced by a rising tide of panic. He quickly threw up his arms and assumed a defensive stance, ready for shadowed figures or muscled guards to lunge at him at any moment. He circled, eyes darting from shadow to shadow for any sign of movement, ears straining for any hint of someone approaching. But the street was silent and still. Even the parked cars on the curb were vacant. Lance became aware of his frightened breath echoing in the quiet night and heard hearty laughter coming from the phone in his raised fist. It slowly dawned on him: Lotor was playing with him.

Lance put his phone back to his ear, ready to go off on him. “Listen here, you sick fuck!” There was a self-satisfied huff in his ear. 

“I’ll be seeing you, Garrison boy.” 

“Lotor if you fucking dare-” A chime sounded a moment later - the sound of a call being ended. Lance looked at his phone in shock. The man had hung up on him. 

It took every ounce of willpower to not smash his phone into the pavement or hurl it into the copse of trees across the street. Lance was seething. He’d gone in with every intention of not getting caught up in the man’s games but he’d played right into it. Lotor had tricked him into taking his call and had stayed on the line long enough to hear him panic and now he knew Lance was scared of him. That had been his plan all along. To test the waters, to force him to show his hand, to move them beyond texting. Nothing, _nothing_ at all had changed. Lotor had gotten exactly what he wanted and Lance was furious with himself for thinking it would go down any other way. He hung his head and let the phone in his hand dangle lifelessly at his side. It had been stupid to engage with him. It was impossible to win. Just like all those years ago, Lotor left Lance alone in the dead of night choking back tears and feeling like a fool.

 

 

Lance barged back into his apartment and slammed the door behind him.

“KEITH! I NEED COUCH TIME!” He shrieked at the top of his lungs.

Moments later, Keith rushed out of the bedroom with his gaming headset still dangling around his neck. He took one look at his shaking mess of a boyfriend and guessed what had happened. 

“Oh no… He texted you again?”

Lance pinched his lips together shook his head. “I told him to get lost but…” He looked tearfully at Keith. “I don’t think it worked...” Lance’s lip trembled. “He tricked me, Keith! He’s so fucking sneaky.”

“Shh, it’s okay. Come here.” Keith guided Lance’s trembling frame to the couch and pulled him onto it next to him. Lance lay down with his head in Keith’s lap. 

“I’m getting a new number! Tomorrow!” He declared then curled up, hugging Keith around his middle and pressing his face into his stomach.

“That’s a good idea,” Keith agreed and ran his hands soothingly through Lance’s hair.

“God, he’s so manipulative!” Lance moaned and rolled onto his back to look at Keith. “He says he’s gonna stop texting me but… who the fuck knows.”

“Shh. He’s gone now. We’ll get you a new number, and then he’ll be gone for good.” 

“Yeah, but... What if he tries to find me or something?” Lance looked up at him fearfully. Even though he was pretty sure Lotor was full of shit, a part of him was scared.

“He’ll have to get through me first.” Lance smiled at Keith’s tough guy approach but was still worried. He wasn't sure what Lotor was capable of.

“Ugh, can my past mistakes just die already?” He griped then let Keith’s fingers on his scalp soothe his tortured psyche. Lance was so grateful to have him there. In a weird, indirect sort of way, Keith had kept him from running back to Lotor when the man’s attempts at a reconnection had first started, and he certainly wouldn't do anything so foolish now, not when he had this amazing man to come home to. Without Keith, Lance wondered where he might have ended up. 

“Hey, I’m sorry I never told you about him,” Lance said softly. “I didn’t know how.”

“It’s ok. I get it.” Keith dug his fingers under Lance’s head and dragged them from the base of his skull to the crown of his head. Lance hummed as his eyelids rolled shut.

“Magic hands,” he sighed happily. “Magic hands and heavy feet that get speeding tickets,” he teased as he reached up and tapped Keith on the nose.

Keith groaned at his early morning mistake. “Actually that reminds me, did you ever go out with a cop or something? Or do you know any?”

“Huh? I don’t think so… Why?” He asked, curious if Keith was going to suggest a restraining order or something, which you couldn’t get for just harassing text messages - he’d checked.

“The cop that pulled me over today, she said to tell you someone says hi, but… I can’t remember the name.”

“Oh. Wait, she?” Lance grinned with intrigue. “Was she hot?”

“You’d probably think so.” Keith shoved him gently, taking the fact that Lance’s had immediately perked up at the mention of an attractive girl as a good sign. “She also... Well, she called me something. I think because I was driving your car, but she, uh…” Keith rolled his lips together, trying to hide his smile. “She called me Mr. McClain,” he said with a flick of his eyebrows. Lance’s eyes locked on Keith’s in a flash. Keith held his gaze meaningfully.

“Did she now...” Lance cocked one eyebrow as his heart rate kicked up a notch. He couldn’t quite read the expression on Keith’s face. It wasn’t a familiar one. “Did you, uh… _like_ being called that?”

“It was alright.” Keith shrugged knowingly, a playful smile creeping across his lips. Lance suddenly found his heart racing for the second time that night. Keith, his never-subtle boyfriend, was being strangely subtle. And if he was hinting at what Lance thought he was hinting at... Somehow Lance managed to swallow the massive lump in his throat.

“Maybe uh- maybe one day I can call you that too...” His heart rose into his throat as he said it.

“Maybe,” Keith laughed. “You’d have to be Mr. Kogane though.” Lance’s heart threatened to leap out of his chest. He didn’t think the thought of marriage had ever crossed Keith’s mind and was floored, utterly floored, that apparently it had. He was grinning so hard at his boyfriend that his face hurt. He’d be Mr. Kogane in a heartbeat if that’s what Keith wanted. 

“Keith McClain and Lance Kogane. How weird does that sound, right?” Keith laughed harder and Lance’s face fell.

“Hey, don’t joke about that stuff if you’re not serious!” Lance’s brow creased with hurt.

“Oh, no... Hey,” Keith brushed Lance's hair back. “I'm- I’m serious,” he smiled shyly. Lance looked at him incredulously. Why didn’t he have the ring? _Why. Didn’t. He. Have. The. Damn. Ring._

“I am so in love with you, Keith…” Lance breathed, too emotionally spent to not wear his heart on his sleeve. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that his future Mrs. McClain would actually be a Mister, yet there he was, right before his very eyes. And all the meddling stalker exes in the world couldn’t get in the way of it. “Really? You’re really serious?” Lance asked joyously.

“Yeah. I mean...” Keith quickly cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head looking rather flustered. “One day.”

“Yeah,” Lance agreed and quickly brushed it off too. “One day.”

They smiled carefully at each other, both rather breathless.

“So how’s next Tuesday?” Lance quipped with a smarmy grin.

“Pffff. Lance!” Keith shoved him playfully. 

Lance settled back into Keith’s lap and let his boyfriend’s fingers do their magic while he stared up at his Mr. McClain-to-be. Keith had all but given him the green light. He just needed to buy the ring and then he was gonna knock Keith’s socks off with the proposal of the century. Just as he was starting to doze off, he remembered something from earlier that day.

“Wait, was that what you’ve been trying to talk to me about all day?” He asked with a sleepily, smug smile. “ _Mr. McClain?_ ” He snickerd.

 _Shit..._ Keith stiffened. _Shiro..._ After the rest of the day’s unanticipated drama, he’d nearly forgotten.

“Ah- No. It was… something else.” Guilt brewed in the pit of Keith’s stomach. The last thing he wanted to see was Lance hurt and upset again. He thought back to what Shiro had said about minimizing hurt versus being completely honest and found himself hanging in the balance. But Lance’s eyes were on him, waiting for him to continue.

“Oh boy...” Keith shifted beneath Lance’s head so he could sit up straighter. “So the thing is... Shiro, he-” He began then got lost in Lance’s big, blue eyes. Suddenly everything outside of that moment seemed trivial. “You know what?” A smile crept over Keith’s lips. “Don’t worry about it.”

Lance had been through enough for one day. They both had.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo Lotor is cray, Keith has abandonment issues, and I'm stretching to write things way beyond my ability. _welp_ I did it anyway! That kiss tho... What is this now, klance's _third_ not-first kiss?? I guess that's a thing with me... 
> 
>    
> If you haven't read the other stories, please do let me know how that read. Tell me if it was confusing! Ask questions! ( Same goes if you've read the other stories too! ;) ) It was an interesting challenge trying to write for both readers with context and readers without it.
> 
> Finally not a cliff hanger???


	9. A Perfect Ten and Table Time Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith tried. Bless his heart, he tried to tell Lance about Shiro's feelings for him. But, well... He still hasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, my health really got in the way this last month. Sorry this chapter is late. But in fanfiction the deadlines are imaginary and the points don't matter!  
> I'm just really happy I managed to get it out the door. If you enjoyed this chapter, please holler at me. Writing is kind of the only thing keeping me going right now. :c
> 
> I'll try to get around to responding to all the comments from the last chapter in the next couple days. I'm sorry, I've been sooooo sick :< :<

  


  


“Nnhh- Shit, Keith-” Lance watched Keith’s head pull back from between his legs and struggled to swallow, his throat dry from panting. Clumps of brown hair clung to the sides of his sweat-dampened face. 

“You tease,” he smirked. Keith was intentionally dragging it out.

“You like it. Besides...” Keith’s lips twisted sweetly while he climbed on top of him. “I want to finish you this way.”

Lance smiled softly, thinking Keith was too good to him but couldn’t summon the energy to properly voice his affections. Instead, he took his boyfriend’s hand and kissed his fingertips one by one.

Keith had jumped on him as soon as he got home. His work shirt lay scrunched on the floor and was missing a button, torn off in the throes of Keith’s impatience. Ever since Lance had shared a particularly painful part of his past, it was like they’d been catapulted back in time to the early stages of their relationship. Burning the sheets down to the seams, they couldn’t get enough of each other. Lance would have opened up much sooner if he’d known it would result in an insatiable Keith.

Physical gratification aside, he felt closer to Keith than ever. It was strange to think that just over a month ago he’d been sleeping on the couch and uncertain about their future. Now they’d swung hard the other way. Lance was all in and Keith, having brought up being called Mr. McClain all on his own was right there with him. They were rock solid. Nothing could shake that foundation. 

An involuntary groan rumbled in Lance’s throat as Keith sank onto him.

“Too much for you?” The man on top of him smirked.

“Never.” Lance grinned sideways through his exhaustion. His head rolled to one side with a blissful exhale as Keith made the mattress beneath them squeak.

 

 

One sweaty finish and a hot shower later, Lance was huddled under a fuzzy, blue blanket on the couch and struggling to keep his eyes open. It was the opposite of what he was supposed to be doing: getting ready for a Friday night out on the town. He’d been looking forward to getting drunk and dancing the night away with Keith all week, but sleep lost to certain extracurricular activities and a busy work week had more than caught up to him. He’d just nodded off when Keith returned from walking Red. The excited Labrador sped across the living room and woke Lance with a cold nose to the face. Keith took one look at his boyfriend curled up in nothing but his boxers and a blanket and suspected their evening plans were shot.

“I take it we’re not gonna go out tonight and ‘get lit’ like you kept saying?” He teased mildly.

Lance pulled the blanket around himself with a groan.

“Keith, I am so spent right now I probably owe an overdraft fee.”

“I’m sorry. Did I wear you out?” He didn’t sound the least bit sorry.

“You just couldn’t wait could you.” Lance glared at him playfully. “You know I might have still had energy to go out tonight if you could control yourself, Kogane.”

“Well if I’d known I was breaking the bank...”

“You’d have done nothing different,” Lance was quick to retort. Keith smiled innocently at the accusation and earned himself a narrow pair of eyes for it. “I’m sending you an invoice for charges incurred,” Lance grumbled and huddled further under the blanket.

Keith rested his elbows on the arm of the couch and leaned over Lance. “I promise to do Tequila shots if you come out with me.” He flicked his eyebrows in an attempt to persuade the former party boy to resurrect himself from the couch.

Lance’s eyes widened but it was short-lived. “I’m sorry, babe. It’s not happening,” he sighed weakly. The disappointment on Keith’s face stung and Lance hated that he put it there, but never having actually worked full-time himself, Keith just didn’t understand how draining it was.

“Ugh, I can’t believe this. It’s only…” Lance looked at his phone. “8:30?!” He shook his head like he’d failed to make the game-winning catch. “8:30 on a Friday and I’m too tired to go out. Me! Mr. Friday Night! Party McClain!”

“No one ever called you that.”

“My youth is over!” Lance wailed pathetically and curled into a formation that Keith suspected was supposed to be a ball but was more aptly described as ‘lump'.

“Lance, you’re only 25…” He pointed out.

“Exactly! I’m too young to feel this tired! Just put me out of my misery and go on without me.” He pulled the blanket over his head and pouted in the dark. “Have your Tequila shots, dance with a hot piece of ass... Just remember me how I used to be!” His lamentations came out muffled beneath the blue fabric.

Keith stifled a laugh at his boyfriend’s expense. Lance had a flair for the dramatic when he was sleep-deprived and this time he’d gone full lump.

“You know what? A night in sounds good.” Keith let the spoiled plans go and joined the cranky, blue mound on the couch.

“Sorry, babe...” Lance emerged from his sulking cocoon and let Keith have some of the blanket. “I promise to be alive and ready to turn up tomorrow night… or at the very least, next weekend,” he added feebly. Keith smiled at the promise.

“Actually, we should text Shiro soon too,” Lance suggested. “Maybe he can get turnt with us, if you catch my drift.” He cocked an eyebrow. 

Keith caught his drift alright and his discomfort was readily apparent.

“Hey, you okay?” Lance asked, prodding him with his index finger.

“Yeah, um...” 

Keith saw the opportunity to start the conversation he’d been trying to have all week…

“I think I’d rather just have you to myself this weekend.” 

…and let it sail right by.

“Aw, babe.” Lance was touched and snuggled closer.

The ‘gesture’ may have brightened Lance’s face but guilt was eating Keith alive. He’d meant to tell Lance about Shiro’s feelings for him. Really, he had. But somehow time had gotten away from him.

On Monday they’d both still been reeling from the longest and most eventful weekend in recent memory. It would have been too much to invoke another serious discussion so soon. The emotional carnage had, however, resulted in some much needed cuddle time and a hot makeout session that kicked off their frenzied week in the bedroom.

Tuesday, Keith had an interview for a desk job he absolutely hated the sound of. It hadn’t gone well and he couldn’t decide if he was more mad or relieved about that. Either way, he’d been in a mood over it the rest of the night and had happily accepted the comfort when Lance was waiting for him with open arms. 

By Wednesday, Keith knew he’d waited too long, but he had a plan. He’d gone with Lance to pick up take-out and after that, he was going to tell him. But they’d returned home to find their apartment in disarray. Red had gotten into the closet and torn up a down pillow stuffed with at least a million feathers if Keith had to guess by the number of them that were strewn about the living room. They’d spent hours cleaning it up and bickered about who left the closet door open and whether or not Red needed more toys. At the peak of their argument Lance blew a handful of feathers into Keith’s moody face. Provoked, Keith gathered up a handful of the plumage and righteously shoved it down the back of Lance’s shirt. A feather fight had ensued and though it didn’t help much with the mess - Keith expected to be finding feathers around their apartment for months to come - they were laughing and picking feathers of it out of each other’s hair by the end of it.

Thursday was game night at Hunk’s place and a welcome distraction. Keith gave himself a break from worrying about things with Shiro and ironically almost managed to bring up the situation when they got home. _Almost._ He’d thought of something more fun he could do with his mouth instead.

And now it was Friday, almost a whole week later and Keith still hadn’t said anything. He sighed wearily, thinking he could write the book on avoidance patterns but knew he didn’t deserve any sympathy for his self-inflicted situation. With a training session scheduled the next morning and a boyfriend anxious to invite Shiro back into their bedroom, Keith was feeling the pressure. It was probably a bad idea to see Shiro before talking to Lance, and Keith knew he couldn’t deflect Lance’s requests forever. He flicked away a stray feather that had statically adhered to the blanket and watched it flutter to the floor. There was really only one way out of this mess.

“Hey... Lance?” 

Lance grunted, barely awake on Keith’s shoulder and Keith knew he’d missed his window yet again. No matter. It was easy enough to skip the gym and buy himself more time.

“Come on, Lancey lump. Let’s get you to bed.” He ruffled Lance’s hair and helped his tired boyfriend to his feet. 

 

 

 

The next morning, Lance hummed happily to himself while tying his shoes. He had big plans for the day ahead. After depositing Keith at the gym, a quick trip to the Verizon store was in order to finally get a new number and ditch some dead weight from his past. Then, the highlight of the day could take place. Allura would be accompanying him to make a very special purchase. He’d refused to tell her what exactly but smiled to himself knowing it was one with a certain future-Mr. McClain in mind. Lance stood up and confidently set his hands on his hips. Oh yes, it was going to be a good day for Lancey Lance.

“Keith, you ready?” He called, excited to get going. Keith rolled out of the bedroom a few moments later dressed oddly in street clothes, not workout attire.

“Those pants look a bit tight for the gym,” Lance remarked.

“I figured I’d come shopping with you and Allura today.” Keith smiled like it wasn’t at all weird that he was suddenly interested in joining them. 

“Oh, uhhh…” Lance stammered as a wrench was thrown in his plans. Keith had been extra affectionate, almost clingy, ever since they’d talked. It was so sweet and Lance wouldn’t change it for anything, but on this occasion it presented a bit of a problem. How was he supposed to buy the ring if Keith was there with him? 

“You sure, babe? You might be bored. Me and Allura mostly talk about stuff you’re not into. Ya know, fashion, reality TV, boys...” 

“I like boys,” Keith grinned. Lance hid his grimace behind an awkward laugh. It was more two particular boys he and Allura liked to talk about, and it would definitely hamper their usual dialogue if one of them was there.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drop you at the gym? You’re always happier after a workout,” Lance tried in a last ditch effort.

“I’d rather hang out with you,” Keith said as he stepped into his boots. “Unless…” He turned to Lance looking hurt. “Do you not want me to come?”

“No, no, no. I’d love to have you there.” Lance planted a kiss in his dark hair to reassure him and felt mean for trying to shake him. “Should we invite Shiro too? Make it a foursome,” he joked.

“He’s busy at gym,” Keith said quickly. Too quickly. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Shall we?”

Lance grabbed his jacket and peered suspiciously at Keith as he followed him out the door.

 

 

As much as Lance appreciated that his boyfriend wanted to spend more time with him, having Keith there was totally throwing off their dynamic. It was impossible to gossip about their boyfriends with one of them in their midst and Keith didn’t understand any of their inside jokes. Their usually gabby and giggle-filled shopping trip ended up being a lot of silent window shopping. Eventually, Lance gave up on trying to include Keith in the conversation and was chatting with Allura about the latest episode of their favorite trash TV show. Keith had definitely tuned them out.

“Where are we even going?” He asked, mildly frustrated as they hit one end of the mall. 

“Was there somewhere in particular you wanted to go, Keith?” Allura asked.

“No, I just-” He sighed with frustration.

Lance frowned. Usually they just wandered until something caught their eye, but he knew that was probably torture for someone as task-oriented as Keith.

“It’s okay, babe. We’re just hanging out.” He touched the small of Keith’s back to calm him. “How about we head to the cafe? I can stop by the phone store and ditch the spam man on the way.”

“I’m sorry, the spam man?” Allura asked.

“Long story, doesn’t suit the mood for today.” 

They agreed to the plan. Lance took Keith by the hand, linked arms with Allura, kicked his leg out in their intended direction and shouted, “Onward!” Keith perked up noticeably now that they had a destination in mind.

 

On the way, Lance realized their route was going to lead them right past the jewelry store and started to get nervous, but it was too late to course-correct without arousing suspicions. He sighed as the blue and red ring sparkling in the window came into view and looked at Keith unsure.

“Hey Keith, what do you think of jewelry?” He tried to make it sound off-the-cuff.

“Huh?” Keith blinked at him. Allura looked equally surprised by the question.

“Just like, in general. Ya know, necklaces, bracelets... _rings_ and stuff?” 

Keith made a perturbed face.

“Seems unnecessary. Like it would just get in the way,” he said dismissively.

“Ah, right…” Lance slumped. Allura caught the exchange.

“Well I happen to really like jewelry,” she said. “Especially if it comes from someone special. It’s a little piece of their love that you can carry with you. These earrings were my mother’s.” She showed off the dangling amethyst crystals. “My father gave them to her and she always used to say they reminded her how much he cared even when he couldn’t be there with her.”

Keith looked at her, clearly taking in her words. He didn’t say anything, but his noncommittal grunt was enough to suggest that maybe, just maybe, he was warming to the concept. Allura caught Lance’s eye and sent him a wink. Lance beamed at her with gratitude.

“Why don’t we try some on?” Allura giggled.

“What?!” Lance took back the gratitude.

“Come on, it’ll be fun! And I need to see about getting a new clasp for this bracelet.” She held up her wrist. “It keeps falling off.” 

Struggling to hide his nerves, Lance followed Allura and Keith into the shop and promptly blacked out for the first minute or so they were inside. When he came back to his senses, he was sweatier than he remembered being and his pulse was thrumming in his ears. He kept sneaking nervous glances at Keith as they followed Allura to the back of the store.

“Everything in here is really expensive…” Keith remarked uncomfortably and pulled his arms around himself like he was scared he might accidentally touch something and have to pay for it.

“It’s okay. We’re not buying anything,” Lance said and a suited attendant behind the counter looked down his nose at them. “ _For now_ ,” Lance clapped back at the snootiness.

“They want to find their ring sizes,” Allura informed the attendant.

“We do?” Keith asked with surprise.

“Yeah, we do?” Lance tried to sound just as surprised then mouthed _the fuck are you doing_ at Allura.

“You need something to do while I get my bracelet looked at and I assume neither of you wear earrings,” she calmly pointed out. Lance had to give it to her, that was a nice save. She smiled sneakily at him before leaving them to speak with another jeweler.

The annoyed but determined to be professional attendant brought out a case of simple silver bands for sizing. Lance chose one that looked about the right size for his slender fingers.

“What do you think Keith, am I about eight and a half?” 

“You wish,” Keith snorted. “You’re seven and a half at best.”

“Hey! You’re supposed to say I’m at least a nine.” Lance pouted.

“Oh, I thought you were talking about your-” The attendant’s appalled eye fell on him. “N-Nevermind.” Keith blushed. Lance choked back his laughter while the disgruntled employee strutted off to polish some display cases well out of earshot.

“Pst.” Lance leaned over to whisper to Keith. “I was totally talking about my-” 

“Shut up, Lance!” 

Snickering at his flustered boyfriend, Lance put the ring on his finger. It fit well enough. 

“Well look at that. I am an eight and a half.” He brandished it to Keith then held it out in front of his face. “I think I’ll round it up to a nine.” 

“You, though, Keith.” Lance picked up a ring a few sizes bigger and held it out to Keith. “You are a perfect ten.”

Keith’s eyes went soft at that. He took the ring from Lance and tried to put it on his pointer finger.

“I think it’s too small,” he said, trying to force it over his knuckle.

“Keith,” Lance laughed. “It doesn’t go on that finger.” He took Keith’s hand and pulled the ring off his forefinger. “It goes on this one.” Mid-way through sliding the band onto Keith’s ring finger, Lance realized what he was doing. His breath stalled in his throat as he pushed the ring over Keith’s knuckle and a rush was sent through him as he felt it slide into place. The brightly lit display cases and the rest of the store melted away, leaving just the two of them. Just him and Keith and the rings on their fingers. Lance didn’t fancy himself clairvoyant, but he saw it. Him and Keith, in front of an alter or maybe at a beach somewhere. Hell, he’d settle for the courthouse. The scenery didn’t matter so long as Keith was at his side. His vision stretched beyond that too. Family… Kids… Them growing old together. The rest of their lives flashed before his eyes.

 _Keith… I do._

“Are you okay?” Keith laughing at him with minor concern brought him back to reality.

“Yeah...” Lance gasped breathlessly, unsure if he’d said the last part out loud. “D-Does that fit?”

“I guess so…” Keith wiggled his fingers and scrunched his face at the feel of it.

 _My perfect ten…_ Lance couldn’t stop himself from tearing up.

“Um, K-Keith.” Lance swallowed, his throat oddly dry. He took Keith’s hand and brushed his thumb over the ring. “I’m ready if you are.”

Keith looked at him confused.

“Uh, I- I mean,” Lance panicked. “If I were to, um… I dunno, w-would you want to?”

“Would I want to what?” Keith blinked at him.

“Keith, come on…” Lance forced laughter to hide the fact that he was dying. He twisted the ring on Keith’s finger hoping he’d catch on.

Keith glanced to the side momentarily then smiled at Lance while creasing his brow in just such a way. Lance knew that look. It was the face Keith made when he didn’t have a clue what was going on. 

“Oh my god, Keith. Watch a romantic comedy or something.” 

With someone as socially clueless as Keith, he had to be more obvious. So, Lance stepped back, ready to get down on one knee.

“Keith.” He took his hand again and began to lower himself. “I’m trying to ask you if you’ll-” Something buzzed in his jacket pocket and he froze mid-genuflection. Keith heard it too and looked at him nervously. 

“Is that him again? Spam head?” Keith asked fearfully.

“I- I doubt it,” Lance tried to sound convincing. True to his word, _the spam man_ or variations thereof as they’d been calling him hadn’t sent him anymore texts, but it had Lance worried. If there was a worst possible moment for him to break that promise, that was it.

“Check,” Keith pushed.

“Keith, now’s really not the time-”

“Lance, check!”

Lance huffed while standing upright again and pulled his phone out. The moment was gone anyway.

“It’s Hunk. See?” Lance hid his relief well but not his annoyance as he flashed the screen at Keith. “Stop being so paranoid.” Keith did not like being called that. Not one bit.

“I wouldn’t have to be paranoid if you’d changed your number already like you said you would!”

“We are literally on the way to do that!” Lance cried defensively.

“Okay, then why are we wasting our time in here?” Keith yanked the ring off his finger and dropped it unceremoniously on the counter, nearly making Lance’s heart stop in the process. The silver band spin on the glass surface while Keith stormed out of the store. 

Lance let his frustrations out in an elongated sigh, but it was for the best, he supposed. He’d gotten caught up in the moment. A snobby jewelry store really wasn’t the venue he’d had in mind for one of the most important moments of their lives and it hadn’t even been the right ring. Allura was looking at him worriedly from across the store. Lance waved to her to let her know everything was okay.

“I take you won’t be making a purchase?” The attendant wandered back over to mock him. Lance glared at him as he took the ring he’d tried on off his finger and placed it firmly back in the case.

“Whatever, at least I got his ring size,” Lance muttered to his bruised ego as he sulked away from the counter and the attendant’s smug face.

 

 

Allura hung back while Lance went after Keith outside. The dark-haired man sat hugging himself on a bench and glanced up apologetically at Lance as he approached. Lance stopped beside the bench and awkwardly scuffed his shoe along the cobblestone pavement.

“Well, Hunk says to wish him luck,” he said to break the ice.

“What for?” Keith asked gently, returning the casual conversation as a peace offering.

“He has some pretty big plans this weekend,” Lance smiled for his friend and carefully sat down next to Keith. “I hope he’s having better luck with rings than I am though,” he muttered bitterly.

“Sorry I snapped,” Keith said quietly. “I’m kinda stressed out.”

“The creepy ex thing really rattled you, huh?” Lance smiled sympathetically.

“It’s not just that...” He eyed Allura standing a few meters away. It wasn’t a good time to get into the other source of his unrest. “But I don’t want him to be able to contact you anymore.”

A smile blossomed on Lance’s lips as he got an idea. He crouched in front of Keith on the bench.

“Keith Kogane, may I ask for your hand… in accompanying me to the Verizon store to make that happen?” He held out his hand with a grin, proud of his phrasing even if it flew right over Keith’s head.

“Lance, really?” Keith’s face lit up.

Lance nodded. “Let’s get rid of the squicky spam man for good.” 

Keith took his waiting hand and they pulled each other up, falling into a happy embrace at the top. It may not have been a ring or the kind of proposal Lance had had in mind, but it was perhaps the more meaningful gesture he could bestow upon Keith that day.

 

 

The trio continued to the Verizon store. Lance left Allura and Keith to look around while he dealt with a sales clerk that had all the enthusiasm of an overeducated and underpaid millennial. Lance briefly remembered how miserable Keith had been working a similar job and felt bad for her.

“Sign here and we can get you a new number.” The clerk foisted a tablet in Lance’s direction. Lance took it and raised a finger to sign but suddenly felt unstable on his feet. He shook it off but his finger trembled, hovering over the screen. One signature and he was guaranteed to never hear from Silver again. It was really the end and despite everything he’d just said to Keith, Lance found himself surprisingly not ready for it, frozen in an unanticipated moment of hesitation. It was ridiculous. He’d nearly just proposed to Keith, the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with! What could he possibly still want from this man? Lance searched himself but couldn’t find an answer. 

“Sir, I need you to sign,” the tired clerk reminded him.

“Yeah, just gimme a minute.” Lance felt panic rising within him, different from the panic of getting a text from the restricted number. The opposite, in fact. Panic at the thought of never getting one again. He took a breath to steady himself. Having an anxiety attack in a Verizon store was not the way he’d envisioned going viral. Torn between his future and his past, inaction spoke louder than anything. It was an obvious choice; Keith was everything to him. But why was it so hard to let go? After all these years why, why, _why_ did this monster still have a hold on him?

Closure. He wanted closure. To know that at some point it had meant something. That he’d mattered. But Lance knew better than to think that man would ever give it to him. He looked at Keith, his future Mr. McClain, his endgame, the man he loved more than anything in the world, who was browsing iPads a few aisles over. If Keith wanted him gone, then so be it. Ignoring the small but vocal part of himself screaming not to do it, Lance forced his finger to scratch out his signature on the tablet’s surface.

The clerk took the device back. Lance was slow to let it go and nearly made a grab for it once it was out of his grasp but stopped himself and stomached the painful pang it caused the traumatized seventeen year-old in him.

“Wait here while I get your new number all set up. Shouldn’t be more than a few minutes. I’ll call your phone to test it when it’s done.” The clerk handed him his phone back. 

Lance felt its weight in his hand. A few minutes. That was all he had. No time for debate, he made a snap decision and opened the thread of messages from the restricted number. Frantically, he typed a message. The last message. Everything he’d ever wanted to scream, cry, and plead at Silver. It was irrational, illogical. That man could never hold a candle to what he had with Keith, but years of anger and hurt burned within him and Lance couldn’t stop himself. His thumbs flew furiously across his keyboard. He wanted Silver to know everything they could have been. 

Moments before Lance finished typing his closing line, _‘I just wish you could have loved me’_ , the call came. His thumbs froze. 

The clerk looked at him.

“Is it ringing?”

“Yeah,” Lance said quietly, letting his wrists go limp. He was too late. The number transfer was complete and his message, unsent.

“Then you’re all set.”

“Thanks…” He barely said it loud enough for her to hear. Breath blunted, Lance began to delete the letters one by one. It was somehow fitting that his final prayer to the man went unheard. He held his thumb to the screen and let the cursor fly backwards, undoing his impassioned words. He wished it were that easy to erase the man from his memories. But that’s all he deserved to be. A memory to be forgotten. 

He opened menu and scrolled to ‘Clear Chat History’.

“So long Silver. I’m better off without you,” Lance whispered then tapped the screen once more. He stared, feeling as empty as the blank space where the messages used to be. 

“Hey…” Keith came up beside him and put a hand on his back.

Lance threw his arms around him and held in a sob.

“It’s okay. He’s gone now.”

“Yeah.” Lance squeezed him tighter. “He is.”

“Lance?” Keith stepped back and looked at him worriedly.

“Ugh, sorry.” Lance wiped one eye. “I’m just annoyed I have to send my new number to everybody, ya know?” Keith let him keep his pride and led him gently by the hand to collect Allura.

A weight Lance didn’t realize he’d been carrying lifted from his shoulders as he stepped out of the store. He re-gripped Keith’s hand, not a doubt in his mind that he’d made the right decision. It was over. He was finally free.

Allura yawned with a very lady-like hand to her mouth. “Goodness! I don’t know about you two, but I could use some coffee.” 

“Count me in!” Keith said with more enthusiasm than he’d had all day.

“Oh, Lance, wasn’t there something else you wanted to buy first?” Allura asked.

“Yes, but...” His eyes flitted to Keith. “Another day. Let’s get that coffee.” They set off for the cafe. Lance sighed to himself at the glum irony of Keith first not recognizing and then unknowingly blocking his own proposal. He couldn’t help but chuckle though. It was going to make a great story at their wedding.

 

 

After ordering, they managed to snag a round table in a corner of the cafe with a direct view of the door. Allura tested the sturdiness of her new bracelet clasp while Lance busily texted out his new number. Keith still stiffened every time Lance’s phone lit up with a notification.

“Hey. You don’t have to worry anymore,” Lance reminded him.

“Right.” Keith did his best to relax.

Lance gasped loudly a moment later. 

“Oh... My… GOD!!” He screamed into his phone screen. 

“What?” Keith was immediately nervous again. “Did it not work? Did he find you?”

“He did it!”

Keith had just enough time to ready his hackles before Lance continued.

“Hunk and Shay! They got engaged!” He proudly showed them the all caps text ‘I NEARLY PUKED BUT GUESS WHAT’ that came with a picture of the beaming couple. Shay sported a huge rock on her finger. “I told you he had big plans. ‘Atta boy, Hunk!” Lance smiled for his friends. 

“That’s been a long time coming,” Allura laughed happily and took his phone to look closer at the picture.

“Right? I guess that’s what people our age do, huh?” Lance nudged Keith.

“I guess.” Keith barely flinched. The barista called their names a second later and Keith went to retrieve their orders.

Lance sighed dramatically at the non-reaction. Allura frowned at him sympathetically as she returned his phone. 

“I don’t get it, Allura. Last week he brought it up all on his own and now it’s like the idea has never even crossed his mind!”

Allura hummed with a doubtful face. “Keith is just… Well, he’s always been a bit…”

“Dense?” Lance scoffed while watching Keith fail to notice the barista making eyes at him as he picked up their drinks. He shook his head at the display of obliviousness. 

“I was going to say focused. When he’s got a task in mind, picking up the coffee for instance, everything else falls by the wayside.” She had picked up on the barista’s interest too.

Lance agreed wholeheartedly with Allura’s assessment of his frustrating boyfriend. As annoyed as he was, his heart soon melted as Keith returned with a tray holding one too many cups. 

“Four?” He asked confused.

Keith shrugged too. “They assured me it wasn’t a mistake.”

“Ah, I ordered the extra. Shiro’s on his way to join us,” Allura announced happily.

“Shiro's coming?” Keith asked with alarm. 

“Yes. I hope that’s alright?” She looked between Lance and Keith confused as to why it wouldn’t be.

“Yeah… It’s... fine.” Keith muttered and nervously fiddled with a sugar packet. Lance watched him.

“Since when do you put sugar in your coffee?”

“I don’t!” Keith quickly tossed it aside and began chewing on his thumbnail instead. Allura and Lance exchanged glances.

“I’d better go outside and wait for him.” Allura rose from her chair, sensing that the couple some space.

“Shit…” Keith cursed quietly after she left. He’d sworn he wasn’t going to get himself into a situation like this. He should have told Lance sooner. Every opportunity he hadn’t taken flashed before his eyes. He looked at Lance next to him at the table. There wasn’t enough time to explain properly before Shiro arrived but he had to say _something_.

“H-hey, Lance. I- I gotta talk to you-” Shiro walked in the door behind Allura a moment later. After scanning the cafe, his eyes fell on Keith and they made uncomfortable eye contact. Keith promptly choked on his words.

“Shiro!” Lance jumped up to hug him. “You’re looking extra good this morning.” Keith cringed as Lance turned on the charm.

“Hey Keith.” Shiro greeted him with a pleasant smile.

“Hey,” Keith said flatly without getting up.

 

Only a few minutes into the conversation and Keith was sweating bullets. Leg bouncing nervously under the table, he kept sneaking glances at Shiro then quickly looking away everytime he returned his gaze. Lance put his hand on his knee under the table to still him. Thinking it had been Shiro, Keith shot out of his chair. The conversation halted and three pairs of questioning eyes fell on him.

“Sorry, must’ve spaced out,” he mumbled and dropped back into his seat.

“You’re awfully jittery today. Maybe I should cut you off.” Lance jokingly pulled Keith’s coffee away from him.

“Lance, can we go?” Keith leaned close to him to whisper.

“What, why?” Lance whispered back

“I just- I need to talk to you.”

“Can it wait? I wanna talk to Shiro.”

“No! It can’t!” Keith snapped.

From across the table, Allura watched their exchange. She patted Shiro’s thigh then announced she needed to visit the ladies room. Her sly smile made it obvious she was purposefully giving the three of them a moment alone. Keith glowered at her. She may have thought she was being helpful, but leaving them alone with Shiro was the last thing he needed.

Lance slid his chair closer to Shiro and cranked the flirting up to eleven as soon as Allura was gone. Keith put his head in his hands when Lance started feeling up his bicep. It was a certified disaster.

“So you free tonight or what?” Lance giggled, ducking under Shiro’s flexed arm and pulling it around him. Keith made sharp eyes at Shiro and subtly shook his head. Shiro seemed to understand and smiled politely.

“It looks like I have other plans tonight,” he told Lance. “Maybe another time?” He looked at Keith while he asked.

“I need a refill.” Keith snatched up his mostly full cup and stormed away from the table.  
Lance watched him go. “Well, he’s in a mood today. Probably because you cancelled his workout,” he chided flirtily. 

“Cancelled, huh?” Shiro chased Keith with a pained gaze.

“Oh! I got a new number. Let me text you so you have it.”

 

Lance: So when are you coming over again big boy? *kissy face* *eggplant*

 

He blushed furiously behind his hands after sending it, wracked with nervous giggles. Shiro snorted with amusement and ruffled Lance’s hair upon reading it.

“Sorry, that was extra.” Lance continued to blush madly. “But in all seriousness, we liked having you and I feel like we’ve only scratched the surface so…” He knocked his foot against Shiro’s boot under the table and sent him a suggestive smile.

Shiro’s expression took on a sad quality. “I don’t know Lance. Did Keith talk to you about it?” Lance just blinked at him but it seemed to confirm something for Shiro. “Talk to him first. It has to come from both of you.”

Lance was confused. Why wouldn’t Keith want to have Shiro over again? Unless… Lance’s face firmed as he looked at Shiro.

“I’m back!” Keith returned to the table in a rush and sloshed coffee out of his overfilled cup in his haste. It had taken him less than two minutes to realize leaving Lance and Shiro alone together was a bad idea. He couldn’t tell for sure what they’d talked about, but he did not like the way Lance was looking at him. 

The trio sat in awkward silence for a painfully long time. Lance glanced suspiciously between the other two men. Now that he thought about, Shiro and Keith’s interactions had been oddly icy. There was something they weren’t telling him. 

Allura returned shortly thereafter and put them out of their misery. Her beaming smile faded as she sensed the tension at the table.

“We have to go,” Keith announced abruptly.

“Yeah, we gotta get back for Red,” Lance attempted to excuse them more politely. “Let’s hang out soon, okay? I might need you.” He worriedly hugged Allura goodbye.

“Shiro.” Lance nodded a curt goodbye.

 

 

Lance stayed silent on the drive home. Something had happened, and the fact that Keith had avoided looking at him since they’d left the cafe was only feeding into his concerns. His fingers wound tightly around the steering wheel as he fought to keep his mind from running away with every worst case scenario that popped into his head. Shiro wouldn’t… _Keith_ wouldn’t do that to him. As much as he wanted to put his mind at ease, for the sake of their safety Lance waited until they got home to pry further into the situation. 

“So that was kinda weird…” He set his keys on the counter then turned to Keith. “Shiro seems to think you might have some reservations about him coming over here again.”

“Oh?” Keith cleared his throat uncomfortably. “What uh- what did he say to you exactly?”

“Only that I should talk to you.”

Keith gulped at Lance’s unblinking stare.

“So what’s going on, Keith?”

“Nothing!” He protested fervently.

“Really? Because I’m pretty sure you’re avoiding him.”

Lance waited, but Keith didn’t have a response to that. He frowned, unimpressed at Keith’s unwillingness to come forward with the issue. 

“Table time,” he said flatly.

Keith rolled his eyes. “Can we not do this that way?” 

Lance took a seat at their kitchen table, folded his arms, and kicked out the chair across from him. He nodded for Keith to fill it.

Keith sighed reluctantly. Table time was the format they’d adopted for their most serious discussions. Supposedly it was something Lance’s family used to do when a disagreement couldn’t be resolved. The only rule was that once you sat down, you didn’t get up again until you’d talked through all of your grievances. Nothing was held back and only honesty was allowed. If done properly, table time would conclude with all parties involved anxious to shove the table aside and hug one another. Dreading what he was agreeing to, Keith dropped into the chair, feeling and looking guilty as sin.

“Keith…” Lance twiddled his fingers and couldn’t hide the concern from his face. “I hate having to ask this, but did something happen? With you and Shiro?”

“No,” Keith said emphatically. Lance looked at him doubtfully. “Well…” Keith swallowed. “Not- not really.” Lance’s blue eyes bored into him, searching for the truth. “Okay, sort of,” he admitted woefully and put his face in his hands. “Ugh, there’s something I’ve been trying to tell you.”

“Keith?” Lance’s voice pitched higher. The way his brow crested with worry tore Keith’s heart apart. He couldn’t do it. It was going to crush him.

“Lance, I- I don’t want to hurt you.” Keith caught himself choking back tears as the color drained from Lance’s face. 

“Table time, Keith. So just say it already.” Defeat crept into his voice as the hope that he’d been wrong faded fast. He could already tell from the way Keith was acting that it was going to be bad. Lance hugged himself with one arm, bracing for the worst.

“Keith!” He pleaded when Keith still hesitated.

“Alright! Fine! Shiro is-” He choked on a sob. “Shiro’s in love with me!” He blurted it out fast and couldn’t look at Lance after. “I figured it out last time he was here and I confronted him about it. That’s where I ran off to last weekend.”

Lance sat up straighter, eyes peeled wide. “Whoa… Y-you went to go see him? Alone?”

Keith nodded. “I had to make sure. And he is. He’s in love with me.” He sagged in his chair after voicing the somber reality.

Across the table, Lance was in shock. Keith might as well have socked him in the gut because the air had been knocked from his lungs. The first thing Keith had done after finding out was run to Shiro? To be alone with him? Tears welled in his eyes. It was a bitter pill to swallow after the amazing week they’d had, which he now realized was obvious compensation for Keith’s guilt. No fight left in him, Lance set his jaw and waited for what was inevitably coming next.

“And...?” He prompted when Keith didn’t continue, uncertain why he was stalling on delivering the deathblow to his heart.

“What do you mean _‘and’_?” Keith looked at him confused. 

Lance was just as confused. “Wait, you guys didn’t like...” He made a crude gesture with his hands.

“No!” Keith cried, horrified.

“You’re not leaving me for him?”

“Lance, what?!”

“So Shiro loves you... and that’s it?”

Keith’s stricken but blank stare answered for him.

Lance heaved a sigh of relief with such force that he nearly slid off his chair. “Jesus, Keith! You had me worried for a second!”

“Uh, hello?” Keith’s arms shot out like he’d just dropped the revelation of the century and not gotten more than perfunctory applause for it. “He’s in love with me?”

A smile slowly crept over Lance’s face while he stared at his boyfriend. His shoulders began to shake with quiet laughter. Keith was exactly as dense as he seemed. He covered his mouth to muffle his increasing volume but a snort slipped out anyway. The look on his indignant boyfriend’s face only sent him further into fits of giggles.

“How is this funny?!” Keith slammed his palms on the table.

“Well, of course he’s in love with you! Who wouldn’t be? Just look at you.” Lance stopped giggling long enough to waggle his eyebrows. Flirtation and flattery were so far outside the range of expected reactions that it momentarily short-circuited Keith’s brain. 

“Keith, babe.” Lance had to stop to snicker again. “Not to shock you or anything, but I already knew that.” 

“What?! How?”

Lance reached across the table and set his hand on top of Keith’s with an audible pat. “Have you seen how he looks at you? I’ve known for years.”

Keith stared at him, mouth agape.

“Why do you think I freaked out so bad the first time I saw you guys together?” Lance smiled kindly and took Keith’s hand in his. 

“Why didn’t you tell me!”

“I thought you knew! I’m pretty sure everybody knows!” 

Keith sat back, crippled by embarrassment. The gravity of what he’d put Lance though hit him for the first time too. He felt terrible. He never would have suggested getting involved with Shiro if he’d known. 

“Lance, I’m so sorry. I- I really didn’t know,” Keith stammered as their fingers danced together.

“Keith, can you please like, come to me sooner about stuff like this?” Lance implored him. “If this has been stressing you out, it’s not worth it.”

“OH MY GOD. I tried to talk to you about it but your fucking stalker phone drama… And then the job interview… And Red with the pillow… And...” Keith flailed his arms helplessly.

Lance smiled sympathetically. “I get that a lot of shit happened, but…” His face pained. “Why did you go to him first instead of coming to me?”

“Because I was pissed!” Keith cried. “Lance, I yelled at him! What he pulled totally wasn’t fair to you!”

“Keith…” Lance slowly put a hand over his heart. “Are you telling me that your first instinct was to defended my honor?” 

Keith rolled his eyes but struggled to hide his smile. “Why? Does that turn you on?” 

“Kinda… But it’s also probably the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me,” Lance admitted, trying to hide the fact that he was tearing up.

“Oh, well… good,” Keith mumbled awkwardly while a touch of color rose to his cheeks.

“Hey.” Lance took Keith’s hand again. “What if we didn’t keep secrets anymore? Like, we could be totally open and honest from here on out. You can tell me anything, even if you think it’s gonna make me mad.”

“I didn’t avoid telling you because I thought you’d be mad, it was because I thought it was going to hurt you.” Keith felt the need to clarify.

“Keeeeeeeiiiith.” Lance folded forward on the table and rolled his head to the side to look up at him. “Oh, you’re so sweet. I love you so much.”

“I’m not that sweet.” Keith bit his lip. He had another table time confession to make. “Lance, I almost fucked up.” He glanced the hand he’d kissed Shiro through, held tight in Lance’s grasp. “Shiro did too.” Lance pulled himself upright again and his expression grew serious. “Shiro and I- We got a little closer than we should have last time he was here and something almost happened,” he said carefully. “But it didn’t.” He squeezed Lance’s hand tighter. “It didn’t.” He repeated it when Lance looked nervous.

“Okay,” Lance said a little breathlessly. “Keith…” His face twisted with discomfort. “Do you love him too?”

Keith paused a tick and cursed table time for making him think about such uncomfortable things. He didn’t even know how to begin to unpack his complex feelings towards Shiro. It was a type of love, he supposed, but it was different than what he felt for Lance. Having grown up without a family or even friends for a good portion of his life, he didn’t know how to differentiate the different types of love. And it’d be weird to call him a brother, given that he’d been in their bedroom. The whole thing was making Keith’s head spin. “Look, Shiro is important to me...” He summarized as best he could and held Lance’s gaze meaningfully. “But not like that.”

Lance’s eyes lingered on him a moment longer before the tension finally fell from his shoulders. “Okay. I trust you, Keith.” He said with finality. “And maybe I’m crazy, but I trust him too.”

“You do?” After the near-miss in the kitchen, Keith wasn’t sure he shared the sentiment for himself _or_ Shiro.

“I asked him if he was trying to break us up and he says he’s not. And it’s Shiro, the guy is like incapable of lying, so yeah, I believe him.”

“Holy shit, you asked him that?”

“Mmhmm,” Lance nodded proudly. “I don’t think I could’ve gotten through last time if I hadn’t. We were talking about it right when you walked in actually, and my hands were uh…” He cringed while making a grabby gesture. “Sorry about the… by the way.” He made the gesture again then brushed the back of his head sheepishly.. “I guess I fucked up a little too.”

Keith chuckled at his boyfriend and felt the knot inside him unwind. “God, we’re a mess.”

“But hopefully a more open and honest mess?” Lance shot him a finger gun and his trademark grin.

Keith squeezed Lance’s hand affectionately and nodded.

“Alright, if table time is over, I’m gonna text Shiro. Poor guy is probably tearing himself up over this.” Lance moved to grab his phone.

“Wait, um... Do you want to do this with him again?” Keith asked sounding pretty unsure himself.

“Well I mean, I haven’t titty-fucked him yet so…” Lance flashed a smarmy grinned.

“Okay, wow.” Keith needed a moment to recover from that one. “I meant, he should have been up front about his feelings, right?”

“Eh, probably.” Lance waved his hand. “But it’s not like we handled this perfectly either.” Lance looked at Keith carefully. He was starting to get the feeling he wasn’t the one with misgivings. “Keith, do you want to mess around with him again? I’m all for it, but if his feelings make you uncomfortable, I totally get it.”

Keith had a brief out of body experience. What bizarro land were they in? The tables had completely turned and now _he_ was the one having doubts? 

“Yeah… I don’t know how I feel about it.” That was a lie. Partially. Keith didn’t know what to make of Shiro’s professed love for him, but if Lance was okay with it and Shiro had no intent of acting on it then it wasn’t really an issue anymore. It was what Keith wanted physically that had him worried.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to decide right now,” Lance reassured him.

“No, wait, I-” Keith choked on his tongue. “I want-” Lance’s eyes were on him. 

_Table time._

_No more secrets._

_Open and honest._

“I want to fuck Shiro.” Keith was a little shocked at how confident and sultry it came out. “I want to fuck him.” He said it again despite being terrified of how Lance was going to react. “No more hiding things, so I’m telling you. But obviously, it won’t happen if you’re not okay with it,” he added quickly. “You just mentioned something before about me being in the middle so I thought maybe…” He trailed off as his confidence diminished and it started to feel like he was digging himself deeper into a hole.

“O-Okay... Okay, yeah... This is good.” Lance strained to keep his smile as he adjusted to the blunt honesty. “I like this. I like open and honest Keith.” But his expression soon faltered, and he shook his head. “But no, babe. I don’t think I’d be okay with that.”

Keith just shrugged. “I figured.”

They both relaxed in their seats as relief washed over them. Slowly, what they’d managed to do sank in.

“Whoa, did we just...” Lance started.

“I think so…” Keith said, equally caught off-guard.

“Holy shit, babe…”

“Right? _That’s_ what communication is supposed to be like?” 

“Keith, we have to do it this way every time!”

“Deal!”

“Kiss on it?”

Keith brought table time to a successful close by leaping across the table to kiss him so fast.

 

 

 

Yawning, Lance hung up from congratulating Hunk and Shay on their engagement. It had been a long day filled with many follow-up conversations, but he and Keith were finally mostly on the same page. For the sake of romance, there was still one secret Lance kept, though he may have let it slip to Hunk that a double wedding might be on the horizon. Cuddle time and sleep were calling to him, but Lance had one more phone call to make before he could join Keith in calling it a night.

He pulled up the contact information of the man who was in love with his boyfriend and clicked call. It rang so many times Lance almost thought he wasn’t going to answer, but finally, someone picked up.

“Hey, Lance.” Lance wasn’t ready for how tired and downtrodden Shiro sounded.

“Uh... Hey, Shiro.” He was quick to soften his tone. “So listen, I talked to Keith.”

“Uh-huh.” A weary sigh drifted into an empty pause, like he was waiting for Lance to go off on him.

“He was pretty shaken by this whole thing, but I just wanted to let you know that… I kind of get it.” There were some shifting noises on the other end, Shiro adjusting his phone. “I mean, I love him too, and honestly I'm kind of happy he's got you there to look out for him, in case, I dunno, I’m ever not around anymore...” A chill passed through him just thinking about it.

“And I'm not threatened by you,” he continued, trying to come off more confident than he was. “Well, at least no more than I was before,” he chuckled and dropped the tough guy act. “Maybe even a little less actually. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you can love him Shiro. You can love him all you want.” His voice turned stern. “But don't you _dare_ take him from me.” 

Shiro's breath blew back into the receiver. “I'd never do that, Lance.”

“I know you wouldn't, but if you try to kiss him again, I will fucking punch you in the face. I don't care how much bigger than me you are!”

“I’m really sorry about that, Lance.” The sincerity in Shiro’s voice was painful. “It won’t come to that.”

“Damn right it won’t!” Lance paused for a few beats to let his point sink it. “Okay then.” His regular pep returned to his voice. “We good?”

“We’re good.” 

Lance smiled to himself. Shiro sounded much more upbeat. 

“So we were thinking, Keith and I were _both_ thinking, that next weekend, if you’re available…”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see ya, Lance.” Shiro’s laugh right before he hung up was so sweet and shy that Lance couldn’t help but squeal inwardly and do a little dance at how cute he was.

The giddiness soon wore off and Lance’s face shifted to one of contemplation as he considered his dilemma. Shiro loved Keith and Keith wanted to fuck Shiro. There was no sense in beating around the bush and Lance was well-aware that he was the only thing standing in the way of what both men wanted. But, he reminded himself, he had a right to! Keith was his boyfriend and that fact came first! Still, as much as he wanted to give Keith, and by extension Shiro, what he wanted, imagining the other man on top of or behind Keith made him break out in a cold sweat. He just didn’t think he could handle seeing or hearing it happen. He briefly considered letting them go off on their own but quickly realized that with his vivid imagination it would only be worse. There had to be a compromise or some middle ground that could be reached, something that allowed them more freedom but that he was still comfortable with. Maybe, just maybe, Lance was considering relaxing the rules. How much exactly, he wasn’t sure. But he had a week to figure it out.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good lord, what have I signed myself up to write >_> There's only one chapter left in this story! *screams* I bet you think you know what's going to happen. BUT YOU DON'T. 
> 
> Or do you? Hmmm...
> 
>  
> 
> Would you believe that the first three times I wrote this chapter they DIDN'T go into the jewelry store??
> 
>  
> 
> Maybe i'll go back at some point and fix the part with Lance changing his number. it's not as good as it could have been.
> 
> [The Spam Man](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/169023457789/lotor-the-spam-man-fanart-from) crack fanart from casuallysucksyourass on Tumblr. I can't stop laughing.


	10. Overcorrection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody's feelings are finally out in the open. Shiro and Lance both love Keith, albeit in different ways. Lance knows Keith loves him and that Shiro really isn't a threat, but he's still having a hard time wrapping his head around letting Shiro get closer to his boyfriend. His jealously manifests in an odd way though. Lance, that sweet, sweet a boy... He likes to give. Sometimes he gives too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is NOT the last chapter.  
> Sorry but it was getting too long and stressing me out so I chopped it up. This is the last arc of the story though.
> 
> Also, this one starts with smut because I don't mess around.

  


  


“Oh baby, do I love watching you fuck me...”

Keith’s lip twitched. He definitely wasn’t doing a good enough job if Lance was still spitting cheesy one-liners. Widening his knees and bracing against the wall, Keith sank down on him hard, letting his weight drive Lance in deeper, and soon enough, Keith had him where he wanted him: wincing with pleasure and struggling to swallow the groan in the back of his throat. 

“Holy crow, Keith…” Lance marveled, taking in the body of the man before him and feeling with wandering hands where the hard muscle of a thigh gave way to the fleshier part of a perfectly squeezable ass. Inspired and with only a wicked smile as a warning, Lance gave it a firm slap. 

Keith yelped in surprise and looked down at Lance in shock.

“Oh? He likes that, huh?” Lance smoothed the flesh he’d just struck, soothing away the sting while Keith’s surprised but intrigued eyes dared him to do it again.

_Smack._

Keith’s shoulders pinched together with a moan that left a pleased confidence on Lance's features. He’d felt it around his cock.

“I'd spank you more but you're being such a good boy taking my dick like that.” Lance dragged his fingers along Keith’s thigh to the crease of his hip and eyed what was going on between both of their legs.

Keith leaned forward to grip Lance by the hair. 

“Praise is your thing, McClain. Hit me.”

“Make me, Kogane.” Lance was defiant in the face of Keith’s demand.

“Fine, I’m sure Shiro would be more than happy to-” 

_Smack._

Lance’s hand landed again, harder this time, and was accompanied by a heightened intensity burning in his eyes. A sharp gasp from Keith trailed into a throaty groan.

“Now that’s more like it,” Keith said as he figured out how this worked. He pushed Lance’s shoulder into the mattress and used it for leverage.

“Remember how good it felt? Having Shiro inside you?” He teased the man beneath him, riding him slow.

“Mmm- So good.” 

“You wanna see me feel that good?” He took Lance’s jaw in-hand and slipped a finger into his pliant, open mouth.

“Yeah…” The word formed around the digit while it pulled heavily on his bottom lip.

“Then let Shiro fuck me.”

_Smack._

“Ah- Let him fuck me right on top of you.”

_Smack._

“Nnngh- So you could see my face when he makes me-”

_Smack. Smack. Smack._

The trio of strikes came laced with a possessive growl. It wasn’t a sound Keith had heard Lance make before and, holy heck, was he hard for it. With fingers digging into the thighs sprawled across him, Lance’s torso lifted from the bed. 

“No,” he said with eyes locked hungrily on Keith. “No one else is touching you.”

Lance shifted further and Keith yielded to him. Suddenly on his back and at the opposite end of the bed, Keith’s head was wrenched to the side by a fistful of his hair in Lance's hand, exposing the gentle slope of his neck. Flanked by heated breath, Lance’s teeth sank into it.

“Ah, fuc- Ow!”

“Shit- Sorry...” Lance gasped into his collarbone and eased up on his hair immediately.

“No, keep doing it. Make me yours.”

Keith’s thighs cinched tight around Lance’s waist, urging him on and granting him additional stability to fuck him hard. Wrist pressed against the sheets, head pulled back by the hair, and Lance’s weight bearing down on him, Keith was pinned. Pinned, claimed, _owned._ Involuntary sounds slipped from both their mouths as the bed began to rattle against the wall, but Lance didn’t relent until Keith trembled beneath him.

 

 

Lance perched on the edge of the bed after, round shouldered and hugging a pillow to his chest. His eyes wandered aimlessly between the rumpled articles of clothing strewn on the floor, but his thoughts held him captive elsewhere. Sensing his distance, Keith carefully crawled up behind him and gently draped his arms over his shoulders.

“Hey… Sorry if I got carried away with the Shiro talk.”

“Nah, it’s what I asked you to do.” Lance leaned into the familiar warmth behind him, letting it quell the jealous echoes still ringing through his nerves. It had been an experiment. One at his own suggestion. To see what altering rules and letting Shiro and Keith be together would be like. Be together _with him._ He always had to remind himself of that part, lest his emotions boil over. Keith had happily agreed to play along with the scenario.

“You were perfect.” Lance tilted his head up to look at the man he loved. “And hey, it was hot!” He managed to grin.

“I’ll say,” Keith agreed.

“Real hot, but…” Lance’s grin faded. He was being truthful. It was hot, in theory anyways. So was the concept of seeing Keith enjoy himself with Shiro. But to actually watch it happen right before his eyes... He squeezed the pillow tighter to match the feeling in his stomach. The change in his body language was not lost on Keith, who shuffled to the edge of the bed and put his legs over the side of it to sit next to him. 

“You didn’t like it,” Keith admitted what Lance couldn’t.

Lance glanced woefully at him and didn’t have to answer for Keith to know.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Keith touched his back momentarily then reached for their dark red blanket, taking one side for himself and wrapping the other half around his reticent boyfriend. “We tried it and now we know it’s not going to work. Better to figure that out before we include Shiro, right?” He tried to encourage the sullen man next to him. Lance nodded, but still sagged with disappointment. He so badly wanted to give Keith, and Shiro too, what he wanted. 

“Jeez, what did I do to your neck…” He brushed Keith’s skin where a purplish mark was starting to appear.

“I don’t mind.” Keith caught Lance’s hand before it pulled away. “I kind of like it when you leave a mark.” 

Keith’s smirk caused a smile to flicker on Lance’s lips, but it soon faded to a frown. His reaction in the moment had been visceral. Keith may like it a little rough, but Lance had felt on the edge of losing control, and he’d inflicted visible harm on Keith because of it. That wasn’t something he felt good about.

“I hate being this jealous, Keith. I hate it!” He clenched his fists into the pillow with all his might, wishing he could will away inconvenient feelings. “But there’s this dumb part of me that thinks you’re gonna leave me if I let you...” He couldn’t finish. It sounded ridiculous when we said it out loud.

“Lance, that isn’t going to happen,” Keith reassured him for the dozenth time. “How many times do I hav-”

“I know, okay! I _know,_ but it’s not rational!” He curled into Keith’s chest, abandoning the pillow for the real thing.

“Shh, it's okay. I’m not going anywhere,” Keith comforted him, drawing slow circles with his finger tips at the base of Lance’s scalp and pulling the blanket around the both of them. “Really, I'm fine with it never happening.”

“I need you to be only mine.” The whisper nearly suffocated beneath the red fabric, but the far reaches of Keith’s hearing caught it.

“Lance…” Keith stifled his sympathetic snicker and set his cheek against Lance’s head. “I already am.”

 

In Keith’s mind it was a closed topic after that. The rules weren’t changing. He and Shiro would continue to limit their contact and Keith was perfectly fine with that. Lance, on the other hand, didn’t want to let it go and kept trying to approach it from different angles, insisting that they could make it work. Despite some resistance from Keith, they played out a few other scenarios with, at least in Lance's opinion, similarly disappointing results. Eventually, Keith made Lance promise to stop thinking about it and even threatened to cancel having Shiro come over at all if he didn’t, which bought him a few days peace.

Ultimately, it was on Keith to invite Shiro over. Though Lance had extended an invitation and they'd made tentative plans for the upcoming weekend, Shiro had later insisted that, given everything that had transpired, he needed to hear it from both of them. Keith was still holding out, mostly because it was easiest to do it in-person when he was next at the gym, but Lance’s odd obsession that week was making him uneasy.

In typical fashion, Keith avoided thinking about it until he had to.

 

 

By the time Saturday rolled around, there’d been little further discussion of it. Keith grabbed his gym bag and hurried out the door.

“So you’re gonna tell him to come over tonight, right?” Lance asked, following on his heels with keys jingling in-hand.

“I dunno. Probably…” Keith said with only partial confidence. He chucked his bag in the back seat then clambered into Blue’s passenger. After a lazy morning, they were running late and had to leave Red at home because of it. She barked after them from the window.

“Sorry, girl. We’ll be back soon!” Lance called to her before they zipped off in the direction of the gym.

“You know, I’ve never actually seen you flirt with him,” Lance announced in the middle of their otherwise uneventful drive.

“Shiro again?” Keith sighed inwardly. Lance had been on a Shiro kick all week. “Give it a rest.”

“I’m just saying, it’s weird that I’ve never seen you do it.”

“Maybe I just don’t flirt like you do,” Keith bit back. Lance’s style was nothing short of overt. Copious amounts of alcohol were required for Keith to even dream of being so bold. Many years spent as a gay boy in a conservative, military-style school had instilled in him a certain proclivity for subtlety.

“So you have flirted with him then.” Lance grinned like he'd caught him out.

“I didn’t say that.” Keith got the feeling he should tread carefully. He wasn’t sure of Lance's angle.

“I don’t mind if you do, you know,” Lance continued. “I mean, I flirt with him all the time.”

“I know you do,” Keith said tersely, having witnessed the egregious display more than once. 

“Wait, that’s okay, right?” Lance suddenly looked worried.

“Pfff... It’s fine, Lance,” Keith laughed gently, not worried in the slightest. On the contrary, he was happy Lance had an outlet for his flirty nature. Better he be doing it with Shiro than someone Keith didn’t know or trust.

“I only do it when you’re around,” Lance assured him. “Well,” he backtracked quickly. “I guess I text him sometimes too.”

“Oh, I’ve seen your texts.” Keith grinned. He knew all about Lance’s enthusiasm for a certain purple emoji from the receipts Shiro had sent him. “Eggplants, Lance? Really?”

Lance stared at him in horror and nearly missed a stoplight. He slammed his foot down. With a crunch from Blue’s breaks, the car lurched to a sudden stop only a few feet too far into the intersection.

“Uh, you know I’m just kidding around when I-”

“Relax. He thinks it’s cute.” Keith calmed his boyfriend’s readily apparent nerves.

“Really?” Lance’s face lit up. “Do you think it’s cute, Keith?”

“I think you’re both idiots.” Keith pinched his lips together to hide his smile, lest he encourage it. The intersection of Shiro and Lance’s sense of humor when Shiro wasn’t assuming the role of an authority figure was uncanny, and the last thing Keith needed was two of them feeding off each other.

“Aw, yeah. Idiots that you love.” Lance leaned over and stole a kiss from him just before the light turned green.

“Something like that,” Keith muttered happily, letting his eyes drift over the man in the driver’s seat.

They pulled into the gym’s parking lot and Lance brought Blue to a stop near the door.

“Flirt with him, Keith. I think it’d be good for you,” Lance said confidently as Keith got out of the car. “And if you’re scared,” he continued quickly before Keith could protest. “Just remember, babe, he already likes you, so you really have nothing to worry about.”

Keith laughed nervously while collecting his gym bag. That was _exactly_ what he was worried about.

 

Lance waited, letting his eyes follow Keith into the gym while an uneasiness pitted in his stomach. He wasn’t stupid. He may not have seen Keith flirt with Shiro, but he knew that it had to be happening. And he suspected the doors he’d just sent his boyfriend through was the place. It hurt a bit that Keith wouldn’t admit it outright, but now that he’d given him permission he didn’t have to. It was okay. Keith could do what he wanted. And so what if they flirted? It was harmless. Probably. 

His brow crested anxiously, imagining what must be going on when they were alone together. After what he'd witnessed during their first attempt at at threesome, there was no denying it. Shiro and Keith had chemistry. And now that everything was out in the open, what reason did they have to ignore it? A crazy idea started creeping into Lance's head, like maybe he should peer through the window, spy on them a little and witness the full extent of it. Maybe he’d even catch them in the act of something far worse...

Lance brought that train of thought to a halt while he still could. He kicked Blue into gear and peeled out of the parking lot before he did something stupid, reminding himself that he trusted Keith. He trusted Shiro, too. And had he not just told his boyfriend to flirt? It wasn’t fair to be mad about it now, though his teeth clenched with frustration as he sped down the street. The struggle to make up his mind wearing on him, Lance didn't know if he wanted Keith doing more or less with Shiro and the internal see-sawing was taking its toll. At the first opportunity traffic afforded, Lance fired off a text. Jealousy was making him crazy, and he knew who he needed to talk to about it.

 

 

Keith stumbled into the gym perplexed by the conversation he’d just had. Lance had been pushing him at Shiro all week and Keith for the life of him couldn’t figure out why, especially after how shut-down he was every time they'd brought 'Shiro’ into bed with them that week.

His loose, black tank top billowed as a wave of air from a large, rotating fan on the gym floor hit him. Keith was too lost in thought to notice, but Shiro had been beaming at him ever since he walked in the door.

“Keith, hey,” he greeted him but hung back with a noticeable amount of hesitation.

“Hey…” A sudden awkwardness fell over Keith, remembering that the last time he’d come here he’d given Shiro an earful. They’d barely spoken since. “Relax, I’m not gonna yell at you,” Keith said and returned Shiro’s careful smile.

“You're late. I almost thought you weren't coming.”

“Well, I’m here.” Keith cringed inwardly, Lance was right, he did need the flirting practice if that was the best he could do.

Boxing was on the docket for the day and Shiro maintained a respectful distance while they sat on a bench wrapping their wrists. Keith was relieved Shiro was being professional, though he did notice him sneaking a sideways glance here and there. He ignored it until Shiro let slip an amused chuckle.

“Okay, what?” He demanded.

“Things are good with Lance, I take it?” Shiro slyly tapped his own neck where Keith’s was bruised. 

Initially embarrassed, Keith moved to cover it up but stopped himself.

“Yeah, things are pretty great.” He held his chin up proudly, keeping Lance’s mark on display, and decided it wasn’t such a bad thing for Shiro to see it.

“That’s great, Keith.” His trainer’s kind smile shifted to a smirk. “So when’s the wedding?” The question came with a friendly elbow in the ribs.

Startled, Keith nearly dropped the rolled up end of his wrist wrap. “God… Probably tomorrow if Lance had his way.” He resumed weaving the fabric between his fingers and around his wrist.

“Really? You guys have talked about it?” Shiro sounded pleasantly surprised.

Keith’s face turned deadpan.

“The first time he brought it up was our second week of dating. So yeah, it’s come up.” He couldn’t help but smile though. “He still jokes about it at least once a week.” 

“You know, most of Lance’s jokes have a shade of truth in them, Keith. It’s how he tests the waters.”

“I know,” Keith said defensively. Of course he knew his own boyfriend! The remark did give him pause though. Lance did have a tendency to mask his feelings with humor and his jokes had been a lot more sincere of late. He had to stop thinking about it before he felt too overwhelmed. “I mean, we already live together, so it’s bound to happen one day. I just have other things on my mind right now.” He finished wrapping his hands and held them out in front Shiro. 

“Yeah? Like what?” Shiro inspected his work.

“Finding a job for one... Getting Lance to stop feeding Red so much...” He explained while Shiro reset the velcro on one of his wrists. “And, I dunno…” Keith’s lip twitched upwards. “Tonight.” A nervous rush passed through him when his trainer’s surprised eyes flashed up at him. Lance had pushed him to flirt, but Keith had not been ready for that.

“Tonight, huh?” Shiro didn’t miss a beat. Holding his eyes captive, he yanked the wrap on Keith’s other wrist tight and set it in place with a sly smile. “So we’re on?”

“Maybe. I’m still thinking about it.” Keith played it cool though he was barely holding himself together.

“Gonna keep me waiting, huh?”

Keith flashed a coy smile and took his wrist back from Shiro. 

“And you call me a tease.” Shiro’s head tilted playfully.

“I learned from the best.” 

Shiro snorted with amusement at this new side of Keith. “Alright, you tease-in-training. Go get your gloves.” He whipped Keith’s butt with a towel as he walked away.

“Hey.” Keith turned around and pointed smugly at the hickey on his neck. “Watch it.”

“I’m watching something,” Shiro mumbled.

“What was that?” Keith spun on his heels again. Shiro shrugged innocently and took a swig from his water bottle without taking his eyes off Keith.

Desperately needing a moment to collect himself, Keith huddled in the safety of the equipment closet. Even if he knew it wasn’t going to lead to anything, flirting with Shiro so openly had been nothing short of terrifying. His heart was thudding in his chest after the exchange they’d just had. If he’d thought his trainer was going to be strictly business now that everything was out in the open, he’d been dead wrong. It’d be lying to say he hadn’t liked it, but even with Lance’s blessing it felt… dangerous. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Keith snagged a pair of boxing gloves off a high shelf and knew he was going to have to tone it down to make it through the rest of their session. He sincerely hoped Shiro would do the same.

 

 

Not too far from the gym in their usual coffee spot, Lance sat twirling a packet of splenda between his thumb and index finger while he waited for Allura. Of all his friends, surely she could relate the most to his situation. 

Something out the window caught Lance’s attention: a flash of flowing, white hair. He'd seen it from the corner of his eye but turned too late get a proper look at it. Lance could have sworn that, while long and the same shade as Allura’s, it had been without any of her voluminous curls. He tried to pass it off as a trick of the light but still stiffened in his seat. Instinctively, he checked his phone, but of course, there weren’t any unsolicited texts. How could there be? He’d changed his number. An uneasy feeling taking hold, Lance kept a steady eye on the door, towards which the owner of that hair had been heading. He held his breath as a figure appeared on the other side of the frosted glass. Slowly, the door began to swing open. 

Lance slumped with relief when Allura, fashionably late as always, appeared from behind it. He was even more relieved to see that she’d straightened her hair. Paranoid thoughts accounted for, he stood to embrace his friend.

“That’s a new look. I like it.” Lance grinned and didn’t let on that her seemingly innocuous style choice had nearly scared the shit out of him.

“Thank you. Though it took hours this morning. It might be more trouble than it’s worth.” She pulled her fingers through the straight strands with a perplexed expression that suggested she wasn’t quite used to it yet. “Anyway, you said you wanted to talk. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah…” Lance motioned at the table with two waiting lattes and waited until they were settled before he continued. “There’s something I wanted to get your perspective on.” Allura didn’t have a lot of time, so Lance didn’t mince words. “It’s about Shiro and Keith...” 

His friend’s eyes flashed up at him from over the wide-brimmed cup held to her lips. Her dark lashes contrasted starkly with the white foam in her cup, making her eyes pop in a way that stirred up old feelings Lance once carried for her. Damn, Shiro was a lucky guy, he acknowledged the fleeting thought as it passed through his mind.

“I’m kinda having some weird feelings about it.”

Allura set down her cup and gave him her full attention.

“What kind of feelings?” 

“I don’t know…” Lance brushed the back of his head, uncertain. “Jealousy mostly... Maybe I'm just being insecure,” he admitted reluctantly.

“Ah, I see,” Allura said kindly. “Yes, we’ve both been there.” 

It was reassuring to hear but Lance’s shoulder still turned in. He grasped his opposite arm above his elbow. “I feel like I’m going crazy, Allura. It shouldn’t be a big deal but the thought of seeing him with Shiro… I dunno, how do you deal with it?”

“Well, that depends on the situation, I suppose.”

“Okay, well, last time Shiro came over, we did this thing where-”

“Lance, please.” Allura quickly threw up her hands. “Look, I have an idea of what’s been going on, but I don’t always like knowing the sordid details… I know Shiro has other needs. We both do, but… It can be uncomfortable thinking about it.”

A wave of relief washed over Lance. 

“Oh believe me, Allura, I understand. I understand completely.” That was exactly what he wanted to talk to her about. Lance fretted though, trying to think of a way to phrase it without revealing too much. “I guess I’ve kind of limited what Shiro and Keith can do with each other, and I’m trying to wrap my head around letting them do more, but like you said it’s… uncomfortable.”

Allura nodded sympathetically.

“How do you handle it? Letting him be with other people?”

“Oh quiznak, that is a tough one.” Allura delicately touched the side of her face. “I think our situations are a bit different though. It’s easier for me to maintain a state of denial because I’m not always there to witness it. I can just pretend it didn’t happen.” 

Lance’s eyebrows turned upwards. There was something deeply saddening about Allura’s phrasing. Denial? Pretend it didn’t happen? That didn’t sound healthy at all. 

“Allura, are you really okay with him sleeping around?” Concern for his friend immediately overtook his own turmoil.

“Well,” Allura smiled politely. “It’s an arrangement that works for us.”

“Hey…” Lance set his hand over hers. It was small and delicate compared to Keith’s. “I know you don’t get to. He told us he doesn’t share.”

“Did he now…” Allura looked displeased. 

“If he’s forcing you into this-”

“Lance, really,” she cut him off and firmly lay her other hand on top of his. “I appreciate the concern, but I promise you it’s _fine._ ” Lance’s concerned eyes lingered on her. “Alright, listen...” She leaned further over the table and lowered her volume. Lance mirrored her. “I _do_ see other people but not in the way you’re probably thinking. And I always downplay it to not arouse suspicions, but even if I don’t like knowing the specifics, I _love_ that it's happening. He goes off and does his thing and when he gets home, I get to do mine.”

“Oh, okay,” Lance elongated the first syllable and nodded like he understood. “Wait, I don’t get it, what’s your thing?”

A dangerous smile twisted across Allura’s lips.

“I _discipline_ him for it.”

“Oh,” he repeated the charade. “Wait, WHAT?” Lance shrieked, recoiling with surprise when it finally clicked. 

“Shhh! Lance, please!”

“Sorry,” he whispered and leaned close again. “Holy shit, Allura! Are you serious?” He stared at her wide-eyed.

“Look, I don’t usually tell people this, so I’ll ask for your discretion, but I’m…” She glanced around to make sure no one was listening and shielded one side of her mouth from the open space of the cafe. “I’m a dominatrix. So, while I don’t _sleep_ with other people, there’s certainly a sexual- Lance, are you alright?”

404: page not found. Lance.exe has unexpectedly quit.

“I’m fine,” Lance wheezed and slammed a fist into his chest to stop himself from choking on the air he’d abruptly inhaled. Shiro had mentioned that Allura had her own thing, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that. His mind was spinning. Allura, a dominatrix? The thought of her doming Shiro or _anybody_ for that matter was hot as hell!

She giggled at his stunned face.

“It’s something I do professionally… and sometimes not professionally,” she smirked mischievously. “But actually, the money is quite good. It's how I’ve been putting myself through my masters program as well as paying our mortgage, and frankly, I like doing it.” 

Still stunned, Lance somehow managed to nod. He’d always just figured Allura’s family was independently wealthy or something.

“And before you ask,” she continued. “Shiro’s been nothing but supportive. _Very_ supportive.” She winked.

Feeling so out of his depth, Lance needed a moment to recover and quickly realized it was going to take far more time than they had to process what he’d just learned.

“Okay, I just can't even with that right now. You sunk my battleship.” He put his hands up in surrender. “But still, you’re never even a little bit jealous of him sleeping with other people or, heck, having feelings for them?”

“Oh believe me, we _both_ have our moments. We’ve worked through a lot over the years. But, at the end of the day, we know we’re coming home to each other. For us, that’s all that really matters. I’m sure Keith will always come back to you too, even if you let him do… whatever it was that you did with my boyfriend.” She put on a serene face and kept up an air of willful ignorance. Lance smiled feebly. He was pretty sure she knew _exactly_ what they’d done. “Letting Keith and Shiro do more, I really don’t think it will change anything between you. Do you?”

Lance’s brow furrowed thoughtfully. That was his fear though. That Keith was going to leave him and that letting him get closer to Shiro would be the catalyst for it. He gazed pensively into his coffee, attempting to rationalize away his fears.

“It’s hard, I know.” Allura gently touched his hand, interrupting his thoughts. 

“Nah,” Lance waved it off. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I want them to have this.”

“Lance, as Keith’s boyfriend, you do get a say in what happens,” she reminded him. “But if it helps, Keith isn’t the only other person he’s had strong feelings for.”

“Really…” She had his attention. Lance listened while Allura detailed some of of Shiro’s other trysts over the years, without naming names or even genders in a few cases. Lance was surprised to learn a few of them were still going on, and strangely, that did help. It wasn’t like Keith was Shiro’s one and only. He wasn’t keeping them apart or depriving Shiro of love. It sounded like the guy had more than enough to go around. No, Keith was just another person Shiro cared about, and if he framed it like that, it was suddenly a lot less threatening. 

“Wow, he’s actually poly, huh?” Lance smiled at the revelation about his friend.

“Ugh, he’s _completely_ poly!” She huffed. Lance was surprised by the outburst. It seemed he’d hit a nerve. “But for whatever reason, he doesn’t like calling it that. He can be so stubbornly particular about the strangest things.”

Well this was new and pleasantly surprising. Bitching about Shiro. Lance grinned to himself, figuring Allura probably had a ton of dirt on him.

“Yeah? What else does he do? What’s the grossest thing about Takashi Shirogane?” He gently encouraged more venting.

“Oh, Lance.” She took the bait and collapsed forward onto her arms with a heavy sigh. “You would not believe the toenail clippings.”

Lance covered his mouth to hide his snickers while Allura described how one of Shiro’s rituals was to sit on the end of their bed every Friday and clip his nails, without paying any mind to where they landed.

“At this point, the only way I know it’s the weekend is by stepping on a jagged piece of toenail.” She parlayed a massive rolled her eyes into a long sip of coffee.

“I’m sorry...” Lance couldn’t help but smile. “But that’s still kind of cute.”

“Yes, I suppose it is when you haven’t trod on them for five years straight.” Her annoyance momentarily gave way to a fond smile. “It may drive me crazy, but at the same time, it’d be a ridiculous thing to break up over. It’s certainly not a deal-breaker, so you learn to live with it, as they say. And slowly, it just becomes another part of your life. You might even find, much to your dismay, that you’ve grown strangely fond of it.”

“Keith eats cereal in bed,” Lance confessed on his boyfriend’s behalf. 

Allura gasped at the admission. 

“Oh yeah,” Lance folded his arms and jutted out his jaw. “Found that out about a week after moving in with him. Crumbs _everywhere!_ ” He shuddered. It was his least favorite of Keith’s domestic habits.

“Oh, no! That’s disgusting!” Allura giggled.

“You’re telling me! One time it caused an ant infestation!”

Allura slapped her palm against the table dramatically. “The things we put up with for these men!”

“Right? Like be an adult and eat at the table!” Lance cried, riding a wave of vindication. “At least now I’ve got him hooked on CoCo Puffs, which is like, the least crumbly of cereals.” His irritation petered out and was replaced by warm adoration for his boyfriend. “I think I know what you mean though.” His face softened thinking about how cute Keith looked when he thought was getting away with sneaking a handful of chocolate puffs into his mouth, like Lance couldn’t hear him chewing from halfway across the room. “I’d sure miss those crumbs.” 

“It’s funny how we adjust for the ones we love, isn’t it?” 

“It really is.” Lance face softened with thoughts of Keith.

Allura tilted her head with a knowing smile. “Lance, you and Keith are going to be just fine. Whatever happens. You love each other enough to figure it out.”

Lance beamed at her, grateful for the reassurance. She was right, they did love each other and that was the important part. Everything else was crumbs.

There wasn’t much time left to keep talking. Allura had places to be and Lance had a boyfriend to pick up. Allura took Lance by the arms before hugging him goodbye. 

“Relax and have fun tonight.”

“I’ll try,” Lance promised and squeezed her tight. “Thank you Allura. You’ll let us know if you’re ever not okay with this, right?” He asked as he let her go.

She chuckled sweetly at his concern. 

“Lance, if ever you’re worried...” She paused to sling her bag over her shoulder. “Just remember that after he’s done with you two, he comes home to _me_.” There was a mischievousness that belied her loving smile. “And I’ll be waiting for him. _In leather._ ” 

Lance promptly dropped his car keys.

“Make sure I have my work cut out for me.” She planted a chaste kiss on his cheek and with that, she was on her way.

Certain his jaw had unhinged from how far it had dropped, Lance gaped after her as she left the cafe. He completely spaced on even saying goodbye, not that his mouth could have formed words. Blowing a soft whistle between his lips, Lance bent to pick up his keys and found himself idly wondering if his and Keith’s escapades with Shiro weren’t just one piece of a much bigger game Shiro and Allura were playing, the possibilities of which were too much for his brain to handle. Teetering between overwhelmed and amazed, Lance decided in that moment that, as incredible as Shiro was, he didn’t deserve Allura. No one did.

 

 

Shiro and Keith were wrapping up their workout. Keith had figured out quickly that Shiro only flirted if he started it, and that made the rest of their hour and a half session go a lot smoother. If Keith got to business, so did Shiro. They’d gotten some good footwork in and Keith’s arms were shaking from the number of punch combos Shiro had put him through. He unraveled the wraps from around his hands, and stuffed them into his bag, too jelly-armed to put them away tidily.

“So you gonna give me an answer.” Shiro looked at him questioningly from the bench. 

“Huh?” Keith gasped, somewhat light-headed from the workout.

“About tonight.”

“Oh!” Keith remembered that he hadn’t actually ever given Shiro a clear confirmation.

“Wow, if you forgot... I guess I have my answer,” Shiro teased.

“Shut up, Shiro. You know you’re coming over.” Keith zipped up his back and hoisted it over his shoulder.

His trainer grinned broadly.

“Then I’ll see you tonight.”

“ _We_ will see you tonight,” Keith corrected him.

“Right,” Shiro grinned. “Tell Lance I can’t wait.”

Keith shot Shiro one more smile before he left the gym. 

 

Lance was waiting for him in Blue outside. Keith got in the car, but Lance, who was staring wide-eyed through the gap in the steering wheel, didn’t appear to have noticed.

“You okay?” Keith asked.

“Yeah…” Lance continued to stare into the dash. “Turns out there’s a lot I didn’t know about Allura.” He shook his head before his mind started spinning again. “So…” He turned to Keith with a sly grin plastered across his face. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, it was a good workout.” Keith strapped himself in and intentionally avoided answering the question he knew Lance was asking.

“Ooooooo, Keeeeeiiith,” Lance sang with an obnoxiousness that belonged on a grade-school playground. 

Keith bit his lip and shank in his seat.

“You flirted with him, didn’t you?” Lance cried joyously and punched him in the shoulder. 

“O-Only because you told me to!” A flustered and red-cheeked Keith shot back. “And it was fucking scary!”

Snickering at his embarrassed boyfriend, Lance put the car in reverse.

“Wait, had you seriously never done that before?”

Keith shook his head in a vehement ‘no’. 

“Huh...” Lance pulled onto the street and felt a lot better about it than he had before. “Well in that case, I’m proud of you, babe.”

Keith couldn’t help but think that was a weird thing to be proud of, but Lance seemed in good enough spirits about it. His fingers drummed happily on the steering wheel while they drove.

“So…” Lance dragged it out over several notes. “I’m thinking we should put you in the middle tonight.” His hand landed on Keith’s thigh. Keith looked at it, then at his boyfriend, suspicious.

“I thought we decided that wasn’t happening.”

“Well, after talking to Allura today, I think I’d be okay with it if, you know,” Lance paused to clear his throat. “Shiro fucked you.”

Keith snorted and was confused when Lance didn’t laugh too. “Wait, seriously?” Keith’s head snapped to him when it became apparent that he wasn’t kidding.

“Yeah,” Lance said with a forced casualness that immediately made Keith leery. He stared at his boyfriend, wondering what the hell had gotten into him. First pushing him to flirt and now this? Something didn’t feel right.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Keith immediately shut it down.

“What? Come on, I know you guys want to and I’m the only thing stopping you.”

“Lance, that’s not-”

“Keith, you love me right?”

“Y-Yeah…” Keith proceeded with caution. It felt like a trap. “Of course I do.”

“And whatever you and Shiro do when we’re all together... It’s not gonna change that.”

“It wouldn’t, but-”

“Okay. Then, I’m fine with it!” Lance took his eyes off the road briefly to seal the statement with meaningful eye contact. “I want you to do this, Keith. I want to see you with him!”

A tense exchange of glances followed until Keith drew the same conclusion as before. 

“No. I don’t want to,” he said flatly. “And slow down. This is where I got that speeding ticket.”

Lance eased off the acceleration.

“Keith, you literally said you wanted to fuck him.”

“I know I said that, but…” Keith dragged his hands through his hair, feeling like he’d painted himself into a corner. He’d said it and meant it, but Lance had been pushing him at Shiro ever since. He was overzealous about it and Keith had already taken note that while Lance’s words might say one thing, every reaction he’d had to their practice runs that week said the opposite. 

“Look, if it came down to it, I don’t think I could go through with it,” Keith said.

Lance frowned quietly.

“Are you worried about how big dick his is? Because, babe, it really wasn’t that-”

The ‘bitch please’ look Keith directed his way shut Lance up fast.

“No, you ding dong! I don’t think I could go through with it because I don’t believe for a second that you’re really okay with it!” Keith struggled to keep the aggravated tone out of his voice. Barely a week ago Lance had been on an open and honest communication kick and now he wasn’t even being honest with himself. “And you’re basically as big as he is so that’s the least of my worries.” Keith folded his arms in a huff.

“Wait, really? You think I’m…” Lance dragged his index fingers apart over the steering wheel with a proud grin. “Hell yeah!”

“Oh my god, Lance…” Keith put his face in his hands. Of course that was the only part he had heard.

“Keith...” Lance turned serious again and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “I _want_ to be okay with it…”

“I know, but baby, you’re not,” Keith’s implored him to stop convincing himself otherwise. “And that’s okay. Really, _it’s okay._ ” He reached over and brush the back of Lance’s neck, hoping to bring him to his senses.

“But if I was...” Lance pushed again.

Keith sighed heavily and thunked his head back against the headrest. They were getting nowhere. 

“Let’s not decide right now.” Keith ended the discussion. Pushing it off was the only way to stop Lance from falling on his own sword, or pushing him onto Shiro’s as the case may be.

“Okay, but we don’t have much time to figure it out. He’s coming over in a few hours.”

“Yeah… I know.” Keith stared worriedly at the road ahead.

 

There was a enough to do when they got home that prevented them from continuing the conversation. After spending a solid fifteen minutes apologizing to Red for leaving her alone for so long, Lance set about cleaning up the apartment while Keith spent two hours in their complex’s basement washing their sheets. He sat on top of the barely functioning washing machine to keep it from wandering and unplugging itself. Lance couldn’t do the laundry. It made him too seasick, but Keith swayed gently with the steady, undulating rhythm and anxiously jingled a bag of leftover quarters in his hand. 

His boyfriend had him worried. Keith knew Lance, and one of his most lovable idiosyncrasies was that he liked to please people, often to a fault. While admirable to take a hit for the ones you love, sometimes Lance took it to an extreme. Sometimes he gave too much. Keith had witnessed it before, had watched more than one terrible girlfriend walk all over him and bleed him dry, emotionally, financially, and in other ways too. And there was no doubt in Keith's mind that the creeper on the other end of those text messages had leveraged that aspect of Lance’s personality to get what he wanted. Keith’s fist tightened around the bag of quarters thinking about it. The worst part was Lance was often complicit in it, like he somehow managed to twist his own thoughts into convincing himself it was what he wanted. After everything Keith had witnessed that week, he had every reason to believe that's what Lance was doing with him and Shiro and halfway wondered if he shouldn’t call the whole thing off.

The machine chugged beneath him and switched off prematurely. Frustrated with more than the poor amenities of his living quarters, Keith slammed his heel into the side of the appliance to start it back up again then reached for his phone.

Keith: Hey Shiro

Keith: I need you to promise me something about tonight...

Shiro’s perplexed reply came not long after. Keith took a deep breath and typed as fast as he could under the washing machine’s sway.

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, Lance swung too far the other way... ^^; How 'bout Allura tho? o///o
> 
> Again, NOT the final chapter. (Will this fic ever end... OTL)
> 
>  
> 
> Art!!  
> [Make Me Yours](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/170258335499/pastelcolorsxx-make-me-yours-a-spicy) Fanart from pastelcolorsxx. So spicy <3
> 
> [ Dom Allura ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/170948414609/gravitydoll-just-a-quick-sketch-inspired-by)Fanart by Gravitydoll. She was only mentioned in passing, but wow, I might have to write a Dom Allura one-shot...


	11. Nobody Puts Keith in the Middle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the penultimate chapter and hot mess finale of Please Ménage à Shiro Responsibly… 
> 
> Lance pushes Keith at Shiro pretty hard and Keith knows it’s not going to be good if he doesn’t do something to intervene. But once things heat up, Keith may not have the willpower to hold himself back…
> 
> The boys are still kind of a disaster, but thanks to MVP Shiro, they get through it and eventually everyone has a good time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes this is a TWO-CHAPTER update, and yes, that is a play on nobody puts baby in the corner.
> 
> Prepare for -a lot- of smut and then a healthy dose of fluff. You’ve earned it after suffering through this monster with me. :3

  


  


Keith sat on the couch watching his boyfriend pace back and forth across their living room, a mixture of nerves and wired with eager enthusiasm. Red joined him until she grew tired of the game then settled on the floor at Keith’s feet.

“Pacing isn’t going to make him show up any faster,” Keith pointed out. Lance’s nervousness was making him equally so.

“I’m just excited. Tonight’s gonna be… good.” He shot a scheming grin at Keith. 

“You maybe wanna run whatever you’re thinking by me first?” Keith said and not as a request.

Lance shook his head. “It’s a surprise.”

“Lance, if it’s about the rules...” Keith started, knowing full-well it was.

A cheeky smirk broke across Lance’s face.

“Let’s wait until Shiro’s here too,” he ended the discussion.

Keith’s lips pulled into a fretful line. The rules up until then had been no kissing and no penetration between himself and Shiro. In fact, they’d agreed to limit their contact in general after it had upset Lance so much the first time. But Keith had a sneaking suspicion that Lance was going to suggest changing that, which honestly he would have been all for, were it not for the glaring fact that Lance clearly wasn’t comfortable with it. Keith didn’t know how he couldn’t see that. It was fine though. Keith had already decided that no matter how hard Lance pushed, he wasn’t going to fuck Shiro.

 

 

Their much anticipated guest arrived not long after, punctual as ever, 8pm on the dot, and well-dressed to boot. Shiro had on a dark grey polo shirt that pulled tight around the muscles in his arms and jeans that hugged his ass in all the right places. Both of the men he was there to visit noted the highlights of his fashion choices while they welcomed him inside. 

As always, Shiro suggested they talk things through first, and Keith cringed when of course Lance announced that things were going to be different that night. 

“I’ve thought about it a lot and I think I’m okay with you guys… doing more.” Keith and Shiro exchanged a look then brought their focus back Lance. “Ya know, with each other.”

Keith pulled his boyfriend aside. 

“Lance, you really don’t have to do this for me.” 

“Shh! I’m a giver, Keith! Let me give!” He turned to include Shiro in the conversation. “So here’s what I’m thinking... Still no kissing, like before,” Lance said firmly. “But everything else…” He waved his hands as if he’d made something disappear. “Fair game.” 

Shiro’s eyes widened. “Lance, are you sure about this?”

“Totally. Last time was about me, so we gotta make tonight about Keith.” He grinned and elbowed the man next to him.

“Keith?” Shiro turned to the other man, who was hugging his elbow across his body. Even though he'd known it was coming, Keith found himself wondering why it was suddenly so hot in their apartment.

“Um, I’m okay with it if Lance is…” His concerned eyes lingered on his boyfriend, silently asking him if maybe he ought to reconsider.

“Great!” Lance cried, without noticing Keith’s concern. “Oh my god, Keith, wait until you feel how amazing his cock-”

Shiro’s firm hand on his shoulder cut him short.

“Easy, Lance. Let’s just take it slow.”

Keith looked at him gratefully.

 

 

Lance and Keith’s hands were clasped when the entered the bedroom with Shiro on their heels.

“You guys start,” Lance stepped back from the other two men, but Keith held on, begging him not to go with his eyes.

“It's okay,” Lance assured him and gave his hand a final squeeze. “Have fun, babe.”

With that, he hopped onto the bed and propped himself up against a stack of pillows, leaving Keith and Shiro standing awkwardly next to one another. They looked at each other, shallow-breathed and suddenly with no buffer between them. 

Keith was torn. A primal part of him wanted to jump on Shiro right then and there, but he didn’t dare move a muscle out of fear of what it would do to Lance. Sensing that it was on him to take the lead, Shiro took Keith by the arms.

“Hey, Keith.”

“Hey…” Keith felt so awkward. 

“You wanna relax for me?” Shiro coaxed gently and shook his rigid shoulders.

“I’m trying…” Keith’s eyes glanced shyly up at Shiro then darted to Lance. It was weird not having him there. 

“I get it,” Shiro smiled kindly. “You’ll be alright.”

Keith managed a smile while Shiro’s hand continued up his arm and to his face. 

“This okay?” He asked, brushing his thumb across Keith’s cheek.

Trying not to lean into it too obviously for Lance’s sake, Keith wet his lips and breathed a “Yeah…’

“You promised, remember?” Keith said quickly, as much to remind himself as Shiro before either of them got too carried away.

“Mmhmm.” Shiro nodded. “I remember.”

With that reassurance and Shiro’s fingers gently massaging the back of his neck, the tension fell from Keith’s shoulders. His lips parted and soft breath began slipping between them. Shiro’s hands felt good. Keith’s eyes slitted open as Shiro stepped closer. If it weren’t against the rules, he’d have expected Shiro to kiss him, and for a fleeting moment, Keith almost wished he would. He tightened with fear and mentally cried out for Lance when Shiro started leaning in, but the man’s lips landed on his forehead instead. Keith giggled at the touch as his fears dissipated. Who was he kidding? Shiro wasn’t a rule breaker.

“Quit being so soft,” he laughed and shoved him playfully. 

Smirking now that the ice broken, Shiro wrestled him into a hug and held him close. Keith tensed at first, caught off guard by the unexpected proximity, then let himself relax in Shiro’s arms. They’d hugged before. This wasn’t so different. But the strong fingers pressing into his back reminded Keith of the context. Their slow kneading pattern, a voiceless statement though probably invisible to Lance, was heard loud and clear by Keith. Shiro wanted him. Lightly pressing his hand against Shiro’s sturdy abdomen and pulling at the fabric there, Keith wordlessly returned the sentiment. A whisper of his name fell from Shiro’s mouth into his hair while a metal hand played at the bottom of his shirt. With Keith’s top riding up a few inches, they stopped and looked to Lance, who had been silently watching them with adrenaline in his veins and his heart in his throat.

“G-Go on.” He nodded an encouragement, a curious but cautious smile twitching on his lips while a strange mix of desire and competitive urges clashed within him.

Instead of ripping the shirt over his head like Keith was expecting, Shiro moved him by the hips and sat him down on the long edge of the bed. He knelt before him and, nuzzling Keith's cheek in lieu of kissing him, slowly lifted Keith's shirt, blindly tracing the uncovered flesh as he went. They pulled apart long enough for the fabric to make it over Keith’s head and then Shiro was immediately close again. Breath tickled the skin beneath Keith's ear, making him squirm as goosebumps spread down his arms. 

“It’s okay. You can kiss his neck,” Lance gave him permission. It was obvious Shiro wanted to and that still seemed… safe. But the way Keith’s breath stuttered when Shiro’s mouth connected a moment later quickly made him reconsider. Lance caught himself though. It had been startling, but not unsettling, and a moan from Keith a moment later had Lance shifting to accommodate the need for more space in the front of his pants. 

Stubble and teeth softly grazing his neck, Keith watched Lance from the corner of his eye. Reassured by his boyfriend’s steady breathing and captive curiosity, he let his eyes flutter shut and fell further into the moment. Fueled by pent-up passion, he pushed the back of Shiro’s shirt up and dragged his fingers across Shiro’s bare skin. A burst of hot breath that sent heat straight to his groin crashed against his neck in answer to the touch.

“Oh my g- Lance, are you okay?” Keith asked frantically, his inhibitions threatening to fall like dominos. “Lance?” He glanced to his side worried, but if the bulge in his boyfriend’s crotch and the intrigued look on his face were any indication, he was just fine. Turning back to Shiro, Keith made a snap decision and gave in to the urges he'd been fighting.

“Let’s do this,” he said with fiery intensity and tore open Shiro’s pants. 

Both Shiro and Lance gawked at him while Keith manhandled the shirt off Shiro’s body. Matching his enthusiasm, Shiro stood suddenly to scramble out of his pants. He tossed them at Lance with a coy smile, making Lance flush as he caught them. Shiro winked at him then turned his attention back to Keith. Kneeling again, he spread Keith’s knees as wide his flexibility and tight pants would allow then started leaning towards him. There was no need to push him. The look in Shiro’s eyes was enough to have Keith falling back onto his elbows and then further still, until he was flat on his back. Bringing his heels onto the mattress, Shiro’s torso fit perfectly between Keith's knees.

“Hey, Keith.” Shiro leaned over him with a tease of a smirk on his lips.

“Hey yourself,” Keith smirked back, pulling Shiro closer by the finger he had tucked in his waistband.

“D-Do his pants next.” Lance sputtered, the moment growing a little too intimate for his comfort.

Shiro eyed him then hooked an arm under both of Keith’s knees and, in one swift movement, pulled his body to the edge of the bed so their hips met, perpendicular and fully flush. Keith gasped in surprise at their suddenly provocative positioning. Equally startled, Lance shifted up a few inches, hackles at the ready. His boyfriend’s legs were practically splayed over Shiro’s shoulders. Fingers pulling anxiously at the sheets, Lance held himself in check, even when Shiro pressed his hips against Keith’s and Keith let slip a voiced gasp he’d meant to swallow. 

“His pants,” Lance sterny reminded him.

“I’m getting to it,” Shiro said confidently, then, keeping Keith’s legs over his arms, he leaned down and skillfully undid the button to his pants with his teeth. With a jerk of his head and a sharp exhale from Keith, he tore the zipper open then pulled back to shuck the tight pants down Keith’s legs. 

“Damn...” Lance cursed under his breath. Shiro flashed him a smug look as he chucked Keith’s pants over his shoulder. Lance eyed him warily but had to admit he was impressed. That was a hell of a way to take someone’s pants off. 

Shiro leaned over Keith again and traced his mouth over his stomach. Without a second thought, Keith's hands were in his hair, his chest rising and falling fast. Dark locks framing his face, Keith turned to look at Lance while Shiro crept up his torso. Words failing him, he reached towards Lance and brushed his fingertips against his ankle, asking with only his eyes if he was okay.

Unsure if he was choking because he was eating it up or because he was terrified of what he was seeing, Lance didn’t stop them. He touched his foot to Keith’s hand and answered him with a small smile. The ‘thank you’ Keith mouthed had Lance’s insides melting. He’d do anything to see Keith that happy, but still, something in him ached.

Moving onto the bed, Shiro positioned himself behind Keith and turned him so the both of them were facing Lance. Holding Keith’s body upright and firmly against his own, Shiro had them stradling Lance’s ankles. Tongue thick in his mouth, Lance looked up at the men before him. Down to only their underwear and so obviously hot for each other, the situation was suddenly a lot more real. Lance’s feet brushed against Keith’s knees while he fought the sinking feeling in his chest.

“Alright, Lance. You’re running the show,” Shiro said, restoring a modicum of buoyancy to Lance’s heart.

At first, Lance didn’t understand what he meant. It wasn’t until Shiro followed up with, “Tell me what to do” that it dawned on Lance that he was the one in control. He’d been calling the shots the whole time, had he not? What they did or didn’t do depended entirely on him. Lance unexpectedly caught himself smirking. It was the last moment he expected to be having a power trip.

“Touch him,” Lance said, sitting up straighter with sudden a surge of confidence.

Following orders but not above taking some liberties, Shiro rested his forehead against the nape of Keith’s neck and snaked his hands up Keith’s body. A soft groan rumbled in his throat as he took in the man’s structure by tactile feedback only. Keith’s hands followed Shiro’s while they dragged back down his front and came to rest just above his hips. Shiro’s fingers pressed into the skin there but didn’t go any lower. His dark eyes fell on Lance again, waiting for the next instruction.

“Touch him _more._ ”

Lance’s eyes fixated on the bodies before him as Shiro’s hand traveled down Keith’s thigh then brushed delicately over the swell in Keith’s shorts on the way back up. Keith twitched in response and Lance held his breath. Terrified as he was, he was so into it.

“Now really touch him.”

Lips and hot breath at Keith’s neck, Shiro’s hand crept around Keith’s waistband and dipped into the front of his shorts. With a soft exhale and a contraction of his abs, Keith’s head rolled back against Shiro. His hand was rougher than Lance’s and there was an obvious strength behind it that Keith choking back a cry.

Lance finally had to loosen his own pants for comfort. From the way Shiro’s hips were rocking, it was clear he was grinding into the small of Keith’s back.

“He likes his hair pulled.” Lance tipped him off and Shiro’s metal fingers were tangled in Keith’s dark hair in a flash.

“Ah- Shit...” Keith gasped in surprise while Shiro pulled his head back and to one side. Shiro kissed up the exposed neck and jawline then turned Keith’s head to look at him.

“Hey, Keith. How we doing?” He asked smugly, holding pace with his hand in Keith's shorts.

“Nngh- Fuck…” Keith’s face contorted.

“That good, huh?” With a pleased smirk, Shiro kissed the corner of his mouth, and the first truly jealous pang struck Lance in the gut when Keith, open-mouthed and gasping, leaned into it.

“Watch it,” he warned.

Shiro quickly pulled away and stepped off the bed for a moment to remove his shorts. He pulled Keith’s down to his knees and stroked him in full view of Lance.

 _Oh my god…_ Keith gasped to himself feeling the weight of Shiro’s cock bobbing against his back. _I said I wouldn’t but…_ Keith couldn’t resist reaching back and suggestively directing Shiro between his cheeks.

“Ah- You’re killing me, Keith...” Shiro practically whined then took Keith by the hips and grinded into him with little abandon.

“Oh shit...” Lance breathed, torn between his rock-hard cock and the rising of his hackles.

Shiro bent Keith forward onto his hands and knees. Keith’s panting face was inches from Lance’s.

“Oh no…” Keith wailed feeling Shiro’s cock threaten to press into him. He looked at Lance, terrified for him.

“What, babe?” He took Keith’s face in his hands.

“I- I want it. I want it so bad,” he moaned, going back on everything he’d sworn he wasn’t going to do that night. Shiro groaned too, sounding near physical pain hearing Keith say that.

“Lance...” Keith’s fearful eyes pleaded with him.

The moment froze in time for Lance. He looked from Keith to Shiro then back to his boyfriend again, saw the desperation on their faces, both men waiting for him to give them permission. 

“You really want him, huh, babe?” 

“Nnnngh...” Keith didn’t want to say it again and the thready moan trailed off as his body shuddered. Smiling sweetly, Lance brushed a lock of hair back from Keith’s forehead. If it was going to make Keith happy...

“Give it to him, Shiro.”

Quick with a condom, Shiro was squeezing a bottle of lube a second later. Lance gulped. It was happening fast. Keith kissed him sloppily, moaning into his mouth and pawing at his crotch while Shiro’s prepped him. Lance helped Keith wrangle his cock free and Keith’s mouth was on it as soon as it saw the light of day.

“Oh, fuc-” Lance covered his mouth and involuntarily dug a heel into the mattress. He looked up to see Shiro lining his hips up. “Oh, fuck…” He said again as his blood ran cold.

Frozen, Lance watched Shiro’s hips move and Keith pulled off him suddenly, arms taught and jaw hanging open. They made terrifying eye contact, then Keith’s eyes fluttered shut with a soft moan as Shiro’s hips eased forward.

“Keith, look at me.” Lance framed Keith’s face with his hands. Though his eyes moved to him, Keith’s gaze drifted far away as Shiro’s shallow thrusts steadily deepened.

“Lance, ah- you okay?” Shiro asked.

Lance didn’t answer, his wide eyes glued to the man he was desperately afraid of losing. And it was happening. It was happening right in front of him.

“Lance?” Shiro voice strained again.

“Y-Yeah…” He said feebly, shaking off his irrational fears. “I’m… okay.”

With an audible slap, Shiro’s hips hit against Keith’s. Shiro paused there, taking in the feeling. Keith’s hips writhed in front of him, urging him on.

 _I can handle this…_ Lance told himself.

Shiro’s hand moved around Keith’s torso, and Keith’s eyes rolled shut with a full-body heave as it closed around him.

_I can han... dle… this..._

Shiro’s hips slapped into Keith’s repeatedly.

“Fuck... Shiro… nngh-” Keith wailed as his elbows buckled and in that instant Lance realized he wasn’t in control anymore.

_I…_

_I can’t…_

Keith was too gone to notice Lance’s distress.

_I can’t handle this…_

_I’m gonna lose him..._

Panic rising, Lance shook his head and choked back a sob. It was too much. “Stop... Shiro, stop!” Lance’s volume increased.

It wasn’t their agreed upon safeword but Shiro pulled away from Keith fast then hunched forward on his knees wincing and breathing hard. Keith fell the other way, collapsing on top of Lance, panting and bucking his hips into his leg.

Lance’s world started to swim. What the hell had he done?

“Oh shit, Lance!” Keith quickly grasped his face between his hands, recognizing the beginnings of an anxiety attack. “No, Lance, look at me. Listen, we weren’t. We weren’t fucking, okay?” 

“Keith, I saw you…”

“No, baby. No...” Keith shook his head, pleading for him to listen. “He was between my thighs. Look.”

Lance stared in disbelief while Keith showed him the lubricated mess between his upper thighs.

“What the hell…”

“Lance, I knew this would happen but you weren’t listening. I- I didn’t know what else to do...” 

Earlier that day while in the laundry room, Keith had told Shiro that under no circumstances, no matter what Lance might suggest, was he to fuck him that night. It had taken a thirty minutes and a heated phone conversation to convince Shiro to agree to it without telling Lance too, but Keith had been adamant, convinced it was the only way to make Lance see he was making a mistake. Not to mention the fact that Keith hadn’t trusted himself to not do something stupid in the heat of the moment, and so, the responsibility had fallen to Shiro.

“I made him promise me he wouldn’t fuck me,” Keith explained to Lance. “Even if I begged for it. Right, Shiro?”

Shiro looked uncomfortable and a touch exhausted.

“Let’s just say I’m glad you didn’t beg for it.” 

Lance blinked, still trying to comprehend. “So you guys really weren’t…”

Keith, still breathing heavily, shook his head. “No.”

It took a moment longer for it to sink in and Keith’s nerves were ringing waiting for Lance’s reaction.

“Thank god,” Lance heaved and let his body go limp against the bed. Keith finally relaxed too and fell against Lance with relief hearing that.

“Wait a second…” Over the initial shock of it, Lance suddenly sounded much less pleased. 

Keith pulled back from him, bracing for the worst.

“That whole thing was fake?” Lance looked at the two of them bewildered. 

“Uh- No. Actually it wasn’t,” Keith said. 

Lance narrowed his eyes like he didn’t believe him.

“Lance, that’s the first time Keith and I have done anything like that,” Shiro jumped in quickly. “It felt _really_ good.” Keith nodded fervently in agreement.

“Oh no, are you mad?” Keith cringed when the pout didn’t budge from Lance’s face. “Don’t blame Shiro. It was my idea.” He put his hand protectively in front of the other man.

Lance folded his arms. Miffed? Extremely. But mad? Nah. He felt more stupid than anything, but Lance was nothing if not practiced at swallowing a bruised ego and he really was glad Keith hadn’t gone through with it. 

“Lance?” Keith’s voice pitched with worry and he delicately touched Lance’s knee.

“I’m not mad,” Lance huffed in a tone that didn’t inspire much confidence in his words. “But seriously, Keith, have you ever faked it with me? Because that was… convincing.”

“Jeez, Lance, no!” Keith cried. “And it was convincing because it wasn’t fake!”

“Lance, buddy.” Shiro sat on the side of the bed and slung an arm around his shoulders. “You gotta be okay with setting boundaries. Even if it means the three of us don’t do this again.”

“Jeez, okay!” Lance cried, feeling rather cornered. He looked to Keith. “You know, I was just trying to do something nice for you.” He looked mildly annoyed that things hadn’t gone as planned.

“No! Cut that shit out!” Keith snapped. “This is about _you_ not me! You do this, Lance! You put other people before yourself when you shouldn’t!” Keith’s volume approached shouting. Lance was wide-eyed in the face of the accusation.

“Easy, Keith.” Shiro touched his shoulder to reign him in.

“No!” Keith shrugged away, angry tears burning his eyes. “You’ve been pushing me at him for a while now! Do you have any idea what would have happened if I’d run with that? What it could’ve done to our relationship? Or to our friendships?” He pointed between them and Shiro.

“Shit…” Lance said quietly, realizing the precarious position he’d put them all in.

“And you have not been listening to me!” Fists clenched at his sides. Keith looked furious. “You want honesty? Try being honest with yourself first!”

“Okay, Keith. He gets it.” Shiro gently pulled him back, seeing tears forming in Lance's eyes.

“No, h-he’s right, Shiro.” Lance said voice softer than he usually spoke. “I pushed him to do this even though I wasn’t okay with it. If he hadn’t stopped it...”

“You’re fucking lucky I did!” Keith spat. He folded his arms and tore his eyes away as anger gave way to hurt.

A very awkward silence followed.

“Keith... I-I’m sorry…” Lance finally broke it with little more than a whisper.

Keith glared at him on the edge of tears. A soft sob escaped him and his scowl finally broke.

“Come here you idiot!” Keith cried and leapt forward to hug him. “Don’t do that again,” he breathed into Lance’s neck, squeezing him tight.

“I’ll try not to,” Lance smiled apologetically and pulled Keith closer. “And don’t you go fake fucking Shiro again either. You get one pass and one pass only on that.”

Keith snorted through a sob and soon they were both laughing in each others arms.

“You’re really okay?” Keith asked again as the pulled apart.

“Yeah. I got you looking out for me, don't I?” Lance smiled warmly then looked apologetically at the other man in the room. “God, Shiro… You must think we’re idiots.” The man was a saint for putting up with them.

“Well, I can’t say you two aren’t a bit of work,” Shiro chuckled kindly. “But it’s worth it.” He affectionately ruffled both their hair.

 

The mood was pretty dead after that, so the group retreated to the living room for Netflix, snacks, and stiff drinks. Red was happy for the company and the way she kept bringing her toys over to Shiro and happily wagging her tail while showing them off helped take the edge off the awkwardness. And despite Keith feeling that it was a little too soon, Lance’s jokes about it being only their second worst threeway surprisingly did lighten things up. 

“I’m just saying, at least we’re all still on speaking terms,” Lance pointed out, ever the optimist.

“And no one’s gonna be sleeping on the couch this time,” Keith muttered to the inside of the refrigerator while he retrieved libations. “Shiro, again, I’m so sorry…” He apologized for the fifth time and handed him a cold one.

Chuckling, Shiro just shrugged and clinked his bottle to Keith’s.

“You’re a good boyfriend, Keith,” he said.

Keith sighed, not sure he deserved such an accolade. 

“Alright, Keith’s on the chips and I’ve got the dips and guac.” Lance carried several tubs to the coffee table then deliberately sat on the far end of the couch. He patted at the spot next to him for Keith to sit. “At least we can put you in the middle out here, babe.”

“Thanks…” Keith scoffed from the kitchen and dumped a bag of tortilla chips into a large silver bowl. “‘Cause it ain’t gonna work in the bedroom.” He brought his beer and the bowl over and plopped down next to Lance.

“Hold on there, Keith.” Shiro stole a chip from the bowl in Keith’s lap as he sat down. “We could always try it the other way around,” he suggested and looked at them like he’d offered a solution. Keith and Lance both stared back at him confused.

“I mean, I could bottom...” Shiro offered like it was obvious.

Lance’s eyebrows shot up and Keith turned scarlet all the way down to his neck. He turned into Lance to hide his reddening face.

“Oh... I did not think of that,” Lance admitted. “Never really pegged you as a bottom, Shiro.”

Shiro laughed heartily and stretched his arm along the back of the couch. “Allura sure pegs me for one.”

“Whoa, she what?!” Lance cried. “Oh fuck!” He brought a hand to his mouth as a whole new world burst forth before his eyes. “I did not think of that either!”

“Hey!” Keith whacked his thigh with jealousy in his eyes. “Stop thinking about it.”

“Sorry,” Lance squeaked.

Shiro slowly turned to them.

“Lance... Would you be okay with Keith topping me?” He asked carefully.

Lance pondered it for a moment. It wasn’t something he’d thought of before.

“You know, that weirdly doesn’t bother me...”

“What?!” Keith slammed his drink down on the the floor and looked at him peeved. “Hold on a second… You’re okay with me fucking him but not him fucking me? It’s the same thing!” His arms shot out with frustration.

“No, Keith, those are two very different things.” Lance looked at him like he was crazy.

“For fuck’s sake, Lance…” Annoyed, Keith almost accused him of being a possessive straight boy for it. Almost. “Whatever makes sense in that head of yours,” he said instead, shaking his head hopelessly at him and admonishing himself for the thought. 

“Sooooo…” Lance glanced between Shiro and Keith. “Are we doing this?”

“I’d be up for it.” Shiro shrugged casually.

Two pairs of eyes fell on Keith, who nearly spilled the bowl of chips he was hugging to his chest. A strange, non-verbal sound came out of his mouth. Keith’s face grew awfully warm as Shiro and Lance encroached on him, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when Shiro’s hand lightly stroked down his back.

“Lance, I need to talk to you!” He shoved the chips at Shiro and stood up fast, dragging Lance by the arm to the kitchen for privacy. 

They huddled half-a-room away and spoke in a hushed tone.

“Lance, I- I don’t think I can do this…” Keith said, overwhelmed at the thought of it.

“What? Sure you can,” Lance encouraged him. “You’re just nervous.”

“You fuck him if it’s so easy!” Keith shot back. 

“Okay, after you,” Lance smirked.

Keith gnashed his teeth and didn’t have a good comeback.

“But I’m not a good top!” He pleaded as his nerves undermined any confidence he had in himself.

Lance gave him his own version of the bitch please face.

“Keith…” Lance took his hand. “You really don’t know what you’re capable of, do you? If anyone can speak to your topping abilities, it’s me.” He showed his faith with a soft kiss to Keith’s knuckles. “Now I want us to go back in there and I want to see you fuck the _shit_ out of Shiro like I know you can.” 

Keith was taken aback by the unexpected pep talk.

“Oh my god…” He put his face in his hands after sneaking a glance at the man in their living room, but Lance’s mischievous smile gave him confidence. “Alright…” He said and couldn’t believe what he’d just agreed to.

 

Keith just about blacked out after that. Everything was a blur of bodies, breath, and violently ringing nerves. Lance was on the bed prepping Shiro for him while Keith’s shaking hands struggled to work with a condom.

“He’s all yours, Kogane.” Lance was suddenly at his side. White as a ghost, Keith looked at the man on the bed. “Hey, you’re gonna be fine.” Lance kissed his temple. “Go show him what you can do.”

Sweating bullets, Keith stepped to the edge of the bed where Shiro lay on his back waiting for him.

“Where do you want me?” Shiro asked, already-flushed cheeks smirking up at Keith while he casually stroking himself.

Keith gulped.

“Th-This is fine.” He stammered and gingerly touched Shiro’s knees. He nearly swallowed his own tongue when they splayed and Shiro scooted his hips closer to the edge of the bed for him. “Um… I don’t usually top…” Keith tried to excuse himself of what he feared was going to be a lackluster performance.

“Lucky me.” Shiro’s confident smirk only fanned the flames burning through Keith’s nerves.

“Hey, come here.” Noticing Keith’s demeanor, Shiro carefully pulled him down and held him close. “Relax,” he said, planting a kiss in his hair. His fingers slowly traced patterns up and down Keith’s back, and much to Keith’s relief, it did help him relax somewhat.

“You’re gonna feel so good. I can’t wait,” Shiro rasped into his ear then punctuated it with a nip at his earlobe. Keith’s cock throbbed at that.

“Okay…” Keith took a breath to steady himself and reached between his legs to guide himself into Shiro.

Keith was not ready for the wave of heat that poured through him as he eased his way in, and it took every ounce of willpower and a particularly embarrassing wail to not finish on the spot. But with gritted teeth and determination, Keith held on and soon enough he was able to move without fear of spilling over. With an arm under each of Shiro’s knees and with a sharp kick of his hips, Keith found his rhythm.

“Ah, Keith...” Affected, Shiro’s head rolled back and he started breathing in short gasp through his mouth. Keith drew a shaky breath himself and had to stop watching Shiro stroke himself lest he do himself in.

Eager for a piece of the action, Lance came up behind Keith.

“He feels good, huh, babe?” He whispered while taking a gander at the show over Keith’s shoulder.

“Fuck yeah, he does...” Keith cried, confidence on the rise as he fell into a steady pace.

Kissing Keith’s neck, Lance brushed his fingers down Keith’s back and slipped two inside him.

“Whoa, Lance! No, I’m gonna-” Keith’s body pulled tight. His eyes frantically locked with Shiro’s as he shuddered. The extra stimulation had been too much.

“Shit…” Keith cringed in horror a few seconds later.

“Oh wait, did you just-”

“Shut up, Lance!” Keith roared with embarrassment. There was a reason he avoided topping.

“Keith, it’s okay,” Shiro moved like he was going to get up.

“Shh. Just give me a second!” Keith shoved him back down then shut his eyes to focus.

“Don’t worry, Shiro. Keith’s got a few tricks up his sleeve,” Lance said slyly. 

Through a series of controlled breaths and sheer force of will, Keith pulled himself together. This was not how it was going to end. After another moment of concentration, his eyes flashed open.

“Okay. I’m good,” he said and began rolling his hips into Shiro again.

“Well, then...” Shiro flicked his eyebrows, impressed, and let Keith take control.

“You don’t know the half of it, Shiro. He’s a regular six-shooter,” Lance quipped before Keith shooed him out of the way. 

On the next attempt, Lance manage to get half-way inside Keith, but it was only a matter of seconds before Keith came fast again.

“Fuck, why does this feel so good?” Keith whimpered helplessly. 

They paused to switch out Keith’s condom then got right back to it. More determined than ever, Keith took Shiro’s cock in-hand and flicked his wrist fast. Shiro let out a grunt that tightened Keith’s core and fueled his drive to perform.

Keith saw Lance moving out of the corner of his eye.

“Lance, I need you to not be doing anything back there,” he barked when his boyfriend tried to get involved again.

“Aye aye, samurai. Do your thing.” Lance swatted Keith’s ass and left him to it, more than happy to step back and watch Keith shine.

“How many times you gonna come for me, Keith?” Shiro egged him on now that he knew Keith’s hidden talent.

Intensity fired behind Keith’s eyes.

“As many times as it takes.”

With that, Keith threw one of Shiro’s legs over his shoulder, twisted his body to the side, and went to town. 

“Holy shit, babe…” Lance knew first-hand how deep Keith could get from that angle but it was something else entirely to see it happen. “You’re gonna rock his world!”

From the way Shiro was heaving, Lance’s assessment wasn’t far off. His hand fell limply to the mattress when Keith started stroking him too.

Lance looked on with wonder. It was completely different watching them this time. It didn’t even matter that he wasn’t involved, there wasn’t a shred of jealousy in him. In fact, he was bursting with pride for his boyfriend. Creeping closer again, Lance silently peeked over Keith’s shoulder and whistled low. It was quite a view.

“Keep going, babe. He’s so close...” Lance whispered in his ear.

“Fuck, me too-” Keith gasped desperately. The burn in his forearm from moving fast over Shiro’s length was the only thing keeping him from falling over the edge again. 

“Keith-” Shiro’s face twisted and his abs contracted with fast breaths. 

Gasping, Keith dropped Shiro’s leg so he could lean over him. Shiro clasped Keith’s face in his hands and looked at him like he was the only thing in the world. Pressing their foreheads together, Shiro gasped Keith’s name one last time before his body gave in.

The moments that followed were a desperate blur for Keith. Burning heat ripped through him and with a cry he let himself melt in the fever pitch. In its wake came a calm tide of quiet peace, and when Keith came to, he was panting in Shiro’s arms with limbs that felt like jelly. Shiro’s mouth was on him, kissing his cheek, his temple, his hairline, anywhere he could that wasn’t his mouth. Keith finally managed to lift his head and their dazed eyes met.

“Keith… Hey.” Shiro smiled at him in a way he never had before.

With a heave, Keith’s head flopped uselessly against Shiro’s collarbone. 

“Hey…” He didn’t think he said it loud enough to be heard.

“Not a good top, my ass.” Lance landed on the bed with a thud and slapped the back of Keith’s thigh. It was as good a time as any to interrupt them.

“Careful, or your ass’ll be next.” Keith flicked his eyebrows at Lance from Shiro’s arms.

“Uh, yes please! If you got any gas left...” Lance smirked at him, knowing Keith wouldn’t be able to resist that challenge even though he was already three orgasms deep.

“I’m not empty yet.” Keith rallied and peeled himself off Shiro, setting his sights set on Lance. “Actually…” He hesitated, another idea coming to mind, but he wanted to run it by Lance first and motioned for him to come closer. Lance’s eyes lit up while Keith whispered in his ear.

“Yeah... We can totally do that,” he said.

 

Keith had Shiro fuck his thighs again while he went down on Lance, recreating their arrangement from before and under much better circumstances. Having a full view of Shiro ramming into Keith and feeling Keith moaning around his cock for it, Lance struggled to last. He nearly lost his mind when, like something straight out of a porno, Shiro pulled back, gasping, to come across Keith’s back. His hand was around Keith a second later, jerking him to completion but keeping him in position so Lance could feel every vibration of it.

_Four._

Keith tried to finish off Lance quick, but Lance gently pushed his head away.

“Sit on me, babe,” he suggested instead. Moving to the corner of the bed, he pulled Keith into his lap. Groaning as Keith’s heat enveloped him, Lance hooked his feet around Keith’s ankles and he spread his boyfriend’s legs wide. 

“You know what to do.” Lance’s eyebrow twitched at Shiro.

Wide-eyed and making sure he hadn’t misunderstood, Shiro slowly dropped to his knees before Keith.

“Just this once,” Lance nodded for him to continue, and Keith was choking on a gasp as his cock hit the back of Shiro’s throat a split-second later. Lance moved in a slow and controlled manner to make things more predictable for Shiro and it had the happy side effect of hitting Keith in all the right places.

“Holy fuc…” Keith bit down on his lip. “Nnngh… So… good…” Knees shaking, Keith’s hands were in Shiro’s hair, his nails digging into the man’s scalp. “Lance, don’t stop,” he whispered.

Lance shifted his hips and was happy to oblige.

“Ohh.. keep doing that...” Keith groaned when Shiro start humming. He put his hand over his mouth to stop himself from being too loud, but Lance gently pulled it away.

“No, no, no. We wanna hear you, babe. Cry for us.”

Shiro’s eyes flashed up at him in agreement. Keith choked back one last wail and then didn’t hold back, crying out with every sensation until his body peaked.

Lance knew Keith’s body well enough to know that he’d come, but he didn’t see a drop of it. Any and all evidence was concealed behind a subtle lick and a crooked smile on Shiro’s lips. Keith mouthed an impressed ‘whoa’ at Shiro then draped himself across the man’s shoulders while his patient boyfriend took his turn.

_Five._

Sweaty, messy, and exhausted, the three men collapsed on the bed with Keith still in the middle.

“Seriously, Keith?” Shiro stared at him in amazement after seeing that, somehow, Keith was still hard.

Keith glanced down at himself and shrugged without seeming too phased.

“He’s like the energizer bunny,” Lance snickered. “He keeps going and going and go-”

“Knock it off, Lance.”

“Oh, I’ll knock something off alright. Or...” An idea crept into Lance’s head. Reaching across Keith, he took Shiro’s hand and dragged it up Keith’s thigh to his erection and began stroking it with him. “You get him off,” he whispered and let Shiro’s hand take over.

“You sure?” Shiro asked like Lance had just handed him a million dollars.

“I can’t watch you fuck him, but I can watch this,” Lance said and tossed Shiro a bottle of lube.

Not wasting any time, Shiro pulled Keith’s body against him and poured lubricant on his fingers. Keith hummed softly as his slickened hand got to work. Lance backed away to the edge of the bed to give them some space but didn’t take his eyes off Keith. His stomach sucked in as Keith’s mouth dropped open with a voiceless cry. Lance was hooked. He hadn’t anticipated it being so fun to just watch. That was going to be an interesting thing to explore.

“Is this okay too?” Shiro asked as his metal hand slipped around the back of Keith.

“Fuck, yes!” Came Keith’s enthusiastic answer even though he wasn’t the one Shiro had been asking. Shiro looked to Lance.

“Oh yeah, he likes that,” Lance crooned his blessing.

Keith was far too tired to control his volume or the pleasure on his face, and a fire burned in Lance’s groin seeing - and hearing - him melt under Shiro’s hand. 

“Lance-” Keith gasped suddenly and reached out for him. “Are you okay?” His hand blindly searched for him across the mattress. 

“I’m right here, babe.” Lance grasped it and Keith’s fingers fiercely hooked around his own. The grip on his hand tightened as Keith’s volume began to peak, and Lance knew he was close. Skin glistening with sweat, Keith’s eyes slitted open and landed on Lance, who was looking at him with soft eyes and a placid smile. Keith smiled back at him and mouthed ‘I love you’ right before he fell apart in Shiro’s arms.

_Six._

 

 

Keith lay on his back between Shiro and Lance, a soft moan lacing every labored breath. The other two men looked down at him in awe.

“I think we killed Keith,” Lance snickered.

“‘m fine,” Keith groaned with exhaustion. “I just… can’t move right now.”

Shiro and Lance exchanged smug glances.

“What was that, six?” Shiro continued to stare with amazement. “I’ll defer to you, but he’s gotta be done.” 

“Well, my record’s seven.” Lance couldn’t resist sliding that little detail in there. “But yeah, he’s pretty beat.”

“Literally.” Shiro smirked. 

“Shiro!” Lance shoved him playfully.

“Hey, I’m not a scoreboard!” Keith protested.

“Of course you’re not, babe.” Lance brushed Keith’s hair out of the way and leaned down to kiss his forehead. “You go ahead and sleep. We’ll take care of everything.”

Not usually the type to be sleepy after sex, but on this occasion, Keith couldn’t keep his eyes open one second longer.

 

 

 

Keith woke up some amount of time later with Lance’s fingers playing in his hair.

“Well good morning sunshine,” Lance grinned smugly.

“Hey…” Keith smiled lazily at the man leaning over him. Lance smelled clean and his damp hair was sticking to the sides of his face. “Wait, where’s Shiro…” He glanced around, quickly ascertaining that not only was it not morning, but Shiro wasn’t there.

“He’s still in the shower. Pizza’s on the way.”

Gaining more awareness of his surroundings, Keith realized he could hear the water running and that his stomach was awfully close to rumbling. They’d tidied up while he’d been asleep too. His and Lance’s clothes were folded neatly on the end of the bed.

“Wait, were you in there with him?” Keith asked, doing a double take at Lance’s freshly-showered state.

“Maybe… We, uh... might have fooled around a little,” Lance smiled sheepishly, hoping Keith wouldn't be too mad about it.

Luckily, Keith just laughed.

“Good. You guys earned it.” If it was with Shiro and under their roof, Keith really didn’t care what they did.

Lance gazed at his boyfriend lovingly.

“Damn though, Keith. He’s so into you.” If Lance had surmised one thing from the evening’s events, it was that. “I’m really glad he’s poly or I’d be a lot more freaked out right now.” Keith’s expression waxed sympathetic. “And you know… You must have a thing for him too given that you lasted all of _fifteen seconds..._ ” Lance teased smugly.

Keith groaned with embarrassment and curled into his hands. “Shut up, okay? You know I’m a better bottom than a top.”

“Hey, you are a damn good top.” Lance settled next to him so they were eye-to-eye on the mattress. “So you’re a little rapid-fire sometimes. But you’ve got like nine shots in there!”

“Seven. At best.” Keith grumbled the correction.

“Challenge accepted, Kogane.” Lance smirked sideways at him before turning more serious. “But back to what I was saying before, you’re kinda into Shiro, huh?" There was a tinge of worry behind his kind smile.

“No, I’m not.” Keith denied it and avoided making eye contact.

“Hey, we gotta be honest with each other, remember?” He gently nudged Keith’s arm. 

Keith looked at him and hesitated.

“Okay, I’m a little bit into Shiro,” he admitted reluctantly, worried about how Lance would react. “But nothing you should be worried about. Tonight was just... nerves and things being kind of pent up, you know?” 

“Mmhmm.” Lance gave him a sly look like he totally didn’t believe him, to which Keith rolled his eyes.

“Do you really not remember how fast I came when we first hooked up?”

Lance laughed nervously. “I was a little busy trying to not jump the gun myself...”

Keith smiled at that. “Well, it was quick. Even after you blew me on the couch first.” He added with a flick his eyebrows. 

Lance swelled with pride at the happy memory. 

“Best damn day of my life,” Lance said softly, shaking his head at his luck. He pulled Keith closer and swore he was never going to let him go.

“Hey. Thanks for making this work. You really didn’t have to,” Keith said, knowing he’d have given up a long time ago if the situation were reversed.

“I love you, Keith, but this was as much for him as it was for you.” Lance gazed wistfully in the direction of their shower.

“Wow.” Keith propped himself up on one elbow. “You sure that’s just a crush? Maybe I’m the one that should be worried,” he joked.

“Nah.” Lance cracked a loving smile while he gazed at Keith. Shiro was the cherry on top, but Keith? Keith was the whole damn cake, frosting, and rainbow colored sprinkles. “But I do know what it’s like to love someone and think you’ll never get to be with them.” He smiled knowingly at Keith. “Guess I’m one of the lucky ones though ‘cause I got you in the end.” He tapped Keith on the nose.

“Hey, I got you too.” Keith did the soft thing with his eyes that never failed to tug at Lance’s heart.

“Yeah, ya did,” Lance grinned tenderly then stretched his arms overhead and relaxed happily into the sheets. “Man, this is gonna be such a great story to tell our kids one day.” 

“Are you crazy? We can _never_ tell anybody about this!”

“Not the threeway, Keith! Just like, our story, how we got here.”

“You mean how you sloppily made out with me in a park but were too drunk to remember it? Yeah…” Keith snorted. “You’re gonna be a great example for our kids.”

Lance was too focused on Keith’s use of ‘our kids’ to bother reminding his boyfriend that he’d been an equally bad example during the origins of their relationship, but there was a time when the mention of a family or any kind of future caused Keith to shut-down or swiftly end a conversation. For Keith to freely banter about the children they would one day have - like it was a given, a real thing that would happen someday. Lance was too choked up to think of a good comeback.

“Wow, you really do still love me... Even after Shiro...” Lance uttered it more to himself than to Keith as the last of his fears vanished.

“Eh…” Keith wobbled his hand and laughed at the momentary rise he got out of Lance for it. “Pfff, Lance... of course I do.” He pulled Lance’s face into his hands. “I’m _always_ gonna love you.” He sealed the declaration with a slow kiss.

Unable to contain his emotions, Lance pressed face into the mattress and emitted a high-pitched sound while beating the tops of his feet against the other end of it. He paused the spectacle to peek up at Keith then resumed wiggling happily next to him.

“You weirdo,” Keith laughed and dragged his fingers through Lance’s hair until he stilled. 

_Always._ The implication of the word echoed through Keith’s being, and for once, it wasn’t terrifying or even uncomfortable. Quite the opposite. It was everything. 

_Yeah… I’m always gonna love him..._

Keith couldn’t explain how it happened exactly, but something in his head clicked. For the first time, it was so obvious. 

“Hey, Lance?” He brushed the brown hair back from the side his face.

His boyfriend hummed sleepily that he was listening without lifting his lids. 

“You wanna get married or something?”

Lance’s eyes shot open. 

“WHAT?!” He was up on his elbows in an instant, mouth gaping. “Keith, y-you can’t- I was gonna- Oh my god! Are you serious?” His mouth flapped uselessly as he realized what was happening.

“Uh, we don’t have to...” Keith backpedaled, thrown off by the appalled look on his boyfriend’s face.

“No! You cannot take it back now!” Lance insisted but gripped the sides of his head in dismay. He couldn't believe it. Keith had beat him to the punch. “Keith, I- I wasn’t even sure you were thinking about it...” 

“Oh, I mostly wasn’t... But I dunno... Shiro said something at the gym today and-”

“TODAY?” Lance fell back to the mattress with his face in his hands. Keith had asked him after thinking about it for a _single day?_ Lance had been planning his proposal for months. A beautifully-crafted, romantic, knock-Keith’s-socks off kind of proposal - sunset, at a secluded beach somewhere, the stars just beginning to show. He’d already narrowed it down to five potential locations. Lance had been envisioning himself down on one knee in soft sand with a ring he’d spotted no less than _seven_ months prior. But he watched it all blow away on the wind because there they were, sans all pomp and circumstance, stark naked, nestled in sheets that smelled like sex, with another man in their bathroom… Lance let his arms fall helplessly to the mattress and was unable to tell if he was laughing or crying. Because Keith wanted to marry him. It could not have been more perfect. 

“Keith… You’re really serious about this?” Lance asked again, certain it was too good to be true.

“Unlike you, Lance, I wouldn’t joke about this,” Keith retorted.

Lance threw his hands over his face again and declared defeat. And that was the frustrating thing about loving Keith Kogane. When he least expected it, that impulsive hothead always found a way to effortlessly one-up him. Lance pulled his fingers below his eyes to look at Keith. Crying. He was definitely crying.

“Oh my god, Keith…” Lance threw his arms around him him, on the verge of sobbing.

“So then... you want to?” Keith asked again, still unsure.

Lance laughed and breathed ‘more than anything’ into the crook of Keith’s neck. Just as Keith relaxed into the embrace, Lance snatched up a pillow and whacked him upside the head with it. 

“You jerk though! I wanted to ask you!” 

“Whoa, relax! You still have to.” Keith pushed away the pillow Lance was trying to shove in his face. “If the men always do the asking, then they gotta ask each other… Right?” Keith made his unsure face.

Lance started in amazement. Keith really didn’t understand how marriage proposals worked.

“Yes. That’s exactly what they do,” he said and thanked the powers that be for Keith’s lack of awareness for social customs. His dream proposal was safe after all. “But Keith, I want to plan something, so I’m not gonna do it right now, okay?”

“Sure, Lance. Go nuts.” Keith leaned back into a stack of pillows and tucked his hands confidently behind his head. “Maybe I’ll even say yes.”

Nothing riled Lance’s competitiveness like Keith being cavalier in the face of a challenge.

“Oh, I’ll go nuts alright! So nuts that you’re gonna remember it for the rest of your d-damn life...” His voice wavered, realizing that the way Keith was looking up at him - with a tuft of hair sticking up from where the pillow had struck him and with a softness gracing his features that made Lance ache - would be forever burned into his memory. Unable to keep with the bravado, he toppled forward into Keith’s arms again.

Shiro chose that moment to return from the bathroom in only his black shorts and a towel slung over his shoulder. He took one look at Lance crying in Keith’s arms and stopped in his tracks.

“Uh oh… Am I interrupting something?”

“Nah. We’re just getting married,” Keith announced smugly.

Shiro jaw dropped. “I’m in the shower for five minutes and suddenly you guys are engaged?!” He slapped a palm to his forehead, nothing but overjoyed for them.

“Well, we’re not fully engaged yet,” Keith explained. “We’re- Hmm... What do you call it when only one of the guys has asked the other?” 

Shiro cocked his head.

“Usually that’s still called-”

“PRE-ENGAGEMENT!” Lance interjected quickly, desperate to keep his chance to make a grand romantic gesture to Keith alive. “When one man has asked but the other hasn’t yet, it’s called pre-engagement. _Right, Shiro?_ ” Lance shot him a look that he better play along. 

“Pre-engagement?” Shiro looked him incredulously. He dragged his hand down his face with a pained groan when he saw that Lance was serious. “Yep, that’s what they call it.” He got the words out with minimal strain in his voice.

“Huh. Never heard of that before,” Keith remarked, completely unfazed.

“Yeah well, guess they should make more gay romantic comedies so people know how it works!” Lance quickly tied up that loose end.

Beside the bed, Shiro started chuckling behind his hand at the absurdity he was witnessing. He dropped his hand and let his volume increase as he considered the absurdity of the night in general. Finally, he flopped on the bed clutching his stomach in a fit of laughter. He looked at Lance first, then Keith and shook his head. 

“You two are a piece of work, but damn if I don't love you idiots. Get in here.” He held out his arms and they piled on top of him.

“Pre-engagement…” Shiro snorted under his breath at Lance while they settled comfortably, Shiro in the middle with an arm around each of them.

Lance pulled his torso off the mattress to get a look at Shiro’s toenails and smiled when they were just as jagged and unkept as Allura had said. He made a mental note to show Shiro the wonders of a pedicure sometime. He definitely owed him one.

Holding Keith’s hand over Shiro’s chest, Lance’s thumbed the space where a ring would soon sit on Keith’s finger. All the cards were finally on the table. There was nothing holding him back.

 _Alright, Lancey Lance._ He smiled to himself as he eyelids grew heavy. _It’s time to go shopping._

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *SCREAMS **IT'S TAGGED KLANCE FOR A REASON** FROM THE ROOFTOPS WITH LASERS BLAZING FROM MY EYEBALLS*  
>  But also, it doesn't get more Shklancey than this! ^__^ <3
> 
> Go back and read Shiro saying _“Ah- You’re killing me, Keith...”_ knowing that he isn't going to get to fuck him... 
> 
> **THERE'S ONE MORE CHAPTER POSTED** to tie some things up and for Lance to finally get that ring...  
>  Leave a comment on this chapter first if you can because, good god, would I love some feedback on that hot mess that fell out of my brain... :) :) :)
> 
>    
> DON'T MISS THIS ART!!  
> [As Many Times as it Takes ;) ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/170892351849/sihaya-art-this-is-my-masterpiece-depicting-the) By Sihaya
> 
> A friend is working on a ficlet about what Shiro and Lance got up to in that shower... I'll link here when it's done!  
>  


	12. Adjust for the Ones You Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance buys that ring and a few other things happen...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the last little bit :)
> 
> There's some art coming up for this fic too, so watch my Twitter/Tumblr for that.  
> Will link in the end notes too when they're up!

  


  


“Don’t flirt with him too much, babe,” Lance said as he parked in front of the gym. “But I expect a full report when I pick you up.” He winked at his boyfriend as he got out of the car.

“Relax, Lance. I’ll try to make sure I have a story to tell you.” With a twitch of his lip, Keith shut the car door.

“And don’t forget to ask if he’ll dance for us!” Lance called out the window. After the success of their last encounter, they’d agreed to make Shiro visiting their bedroom a regular thing.

“For the last time, I am not asking him that!” Keith yelled over his shoulder before disappearing in through the gym door.

Lance pouted and then decided that if Keith wasn’t going to get them the go-go dancing experience of his dreams, then he was going to have to take on that responsibility himself.

 

 

Part-way into their warm-up, Shiro’s cell phone buzzed with a text.

Lance: hey big guy, you still got those daddy booty shorts? *eggplant* *dollar bill* *dollar bill* *drooling face*

Shiro snorted then promptly showed it to Keith.

“Ugh, Lance…” Keith cringed with second-hand embarrassment. “He wants you to do your go-go routine next time you come over.”

“That can be arranged,” Shiro said with a smug look.

Keith scowled. He hadn’t been expecting Shiro to go for it. 

“I figured we’d probably have to pay you or something.”

“Please, I wouldn’t take your money. And I could use the practice,” Shiro grinned at him. “But you know, Keith…” The way Shiro was side-eyeing him made Keith very, _very _nervous. “A request like that has to come from both of you.”__

Shiro turned and the full range of his vision fell on Keith. 

“Um…” Keith choked as his cheeks turned red.

“Keith…” Shiro stepped closer. “Do you want me to dance for you?”

Darker red.

“I’m- I’m not answering that,” Keith said. By the way his face was burning up, he was certain his complexion was approaching purple.

“Maybe you need to be reminded of what I can do first.” Shiro started to pop and lock in front of him. Keith caught himself gawking and forced his eyes to the ceiling as Shiro rolled his body close. He looked back down just in time to catch Shiro pulling his shirt up in the front and Keith caught a glimpse of abs contracting while he danced.

“Come on, you can’t flirt with me like that!” Keith quickly averted his eyes again.

“Oh, is that what you think?” Shiro dropped low and then snaked up Keith’s body, getting close enough that Keith could feel his body heat but somehow managing not to touch him. With legs spread wide so he was eye-level with Keith, Shiro brushed the white forelock back from his face and shot Keith a particularly sultry smile. Jaw clenched tight in an effort to remain stone-faced, Keith stood his ground, but it didn’t stop Shiro from getting dangerously close to his lips.

“I can flirt with you all I want, Keith,” Shiro said. If he were any closer their eyes wouldn’t have been able to focus on each other. “I just can’t kiss you.” He leaned in and gently blew across Keith’s lips. 

Keith leapt backwards with a hand clasped over his mouth.

“The fuck?! Don’t do that!”

“Sorry. Stripper trick.” Shiro winked then turned serious. “But let me make something abundantly clear. I know where the line is, Keith. I’ll walk right up to it, I may even bend it a little, but I won’t cross it.” The sincerity in his eyes bored into Keith. “However, if you really want me to knock off the flirting...” He grinned again.

“I don’t,” Keith admitted quietly, heart still racing in his chest.

Shiro took a hearty glug from his water bottle and gasped after. “Victory,” he said and rubbed it in with a crooked smile.

“Whatever, you lush!” Keith shoved him playfully. “Let’s just workout.”

Snickering, they headed towards the squat rack.

“You know, I could get you some shorts too and we could _both_ dance for Lance,” Shiro offered.

Now that idea had Keith’s attention. His eyebrows twitched imagining how red and flustered Lance would be if they ambushed him like that. 

“Okay...” A scheming smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he locked eyes with Shiro. “I’m in.”

 

 

Jittering with nerves, Lance fiddled with the collar of his blue shirt while he waited for Allura outside the jewelry store. He kept glancing in the window behind him, worried someone was going to buy the ring in the space of the next few minutes. To his relief, he spotted Allura and waved to catch her attention from across the way. She made a beeline for him as soon as she saw him. It was only when she was about ten feet away that Lance realized that she didn’t look very happy with him. 

Allura walked right up to him and pinched him hard on the arm.

“Ow! What was that for?” Lance cried.

“Pre-engagement, Lance? Really?” She sounded cross.

“It was all I could think of!” He cried defensively. “I really wanna do a big proposal for him,” Lance pouted, rubbing his arm.

“And he believed you?” Her expression was nothing but incredulous horror.

“It’s kind of genius if you ask me,” Lance grinned smugly. 

“You’d better hope that doesn’t come back to bite you.”

“It’ll be fine. It’s just a minor hiccup in the plan. I can adjust or whatever,” Lance waved it off. “Besides, I only need him to buy it long enough to pop the question myself.”

Allura made a face that he’d better be careful. “Alright, where this ring you keep telling me about?”

Lance looked unsure. “You have to tell me if I’m crazy okay?” Nervously, he stepped to the side and pointed through the window and the black band with a melding of red and blue splitting its middle.

Allura gasped and latched onto his arm. “Is _that_ what you’re always staring at in here?”

Lance smiled feebly. So she had noticed.

“You think he’ll like it? I mean, he’s not really a jewelry kind of guy…” Lance rubbed the back of his head uncertain. “You heard him, it’s _‘expensive and unnecessary.’_ ” He mimicked Keith.

“Oh no, Lance, definitely. You have to get it.” Allura shook him by the arm to show her encouragement. 

“I dunno, I can’t really see him wearing a ring.”

“Lance, trust me. He will _love_ it.”

Confidence bolstered, Lance slowly smiled and his heart excitedly skipped a beat. 

“Oh my god.” He covered his mouth, suddenly a little choked up. “I’m really gonna buy it.” Lance could barely believe it. He’d been dreaming of this day for so long.

Allura smiled at him, knowing a man in love when she saw one.

“Well, shall we?” She held out her arm for him.

“Let’s do this.” Lance took her arm beaming from ear to ear. 

 

A hefty dent in his checking account later, Lance walked out of the store with the ring in a tiny, black velvet box. He popped it open to look at it once more, barely able to believe it was finally his. As fate would have it, the ring he'd been staring at all this time had been the exact right size. 

_A perfect ten._ He thought and hugged the box happily to his chest. Cheeks aching from smiling, he slipped it into his jacket pocket.

“So when are you gonna do it?” Allura asked excitedly.

“I don’t know exactly. Maybe his birthday? Or Christmas. Oh, Valentine’s day! If I can wait that long... I just don’t want him to know it’s coming. He’s gotta be surprised.”

They had a few minutes to kill before Shiro and Keith would be meeting them. Idling outside the their regular coffee shop, Lance watched Allura while she checked her makeup in her compact mirror. There was something he’d had been wondering but wasn't sure if he should ask. To heck with it, he decided.

“Hey, Allura. I got a question. Tell me to shut up if it’s none of my business, but do you and Shiro have like normal sex too? Or is it always… kinky.”

“Hmmm,” Allura’s brow creased thoughtfully. “I don't know Lance, do you make Keith come six times every time?” She asked with a wicked smirk.

Lance stared at her in horror. She knew... She knew everything!

“Not- Not every time,” Lance croaked, redder than a rose petal. 

“Well then, I suppose you have your answer,” Allura said as casually as if they were talking about the weather. She waved a moment later as Shiro and Keith came around the corner.

Lance’s mind happily shifted to other matters as soon as he saw Keith. His hair was still damp from the gym showers and the way it clumped together at the back made his insides ache. It was then that Lance realized he needed to get his act together fast. He could already feel the ring burning a hole in his pocket.

Allura and Lance were grinning and trying to hide their giggles as Shiro and Keith walked up.

“Shh, be cool, Allura. Be cool!” Lance warned but struggled to not laugh himself.

Shiro and Keith looked at the giggling pair suspiciously. 

“Are you guys high or something?” Keith asked, disapprovingly.

Allura made a small gesture to her ring finger and then to the other two boys. She flicked her eyebrows at Shiro.

‘Really,’ Shiro mouthed, a huge grin breaking across his face. 

Allura nodded knowingly and Shiro slapped Lance on the back with a joyous laugh. Lance was always amazed at how effortlessly they could communicate, but Keith looked between the three of them, still totally in the dark. 

“Okay, what’s going on? What are you all smiling about? Is something on my face?” He touched his cheeks self-consciously when they were all grinning at him.

“Don’t worry about it, Keith,” Lance said.

“No, tell me!”

“Well...” Lance made eye contact with Allura then put on a cheeky smile. “I guess you could say I’ve got a question for you.” 

He dropped to one knee. Allura immediately gasped, drawing her hands to her mouth. Shiro’s jaw dropped too. Keith just stood there looking rather confused.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“Tying my shoe,” Lance said from a crouch.

“It’s not untied,” Keith said.

“Well that’s funny. Can’t imagine why else I’d be down here,” Lance laughed.

“Lance, you’re being weird...”

“Keith… Pre-engagement,” Shiro coughed to try and clue him in.

“Wha- Oh!” Keith turned back to Lance, a more serious expression on his face.

“Keith, love of my life.” Lance took his hand and smiled up at him. “You make me happier than anything in this world. Will you do me the honor of…” 

Keith, Allura, and Shiro all held their breath.

“...going out to lunch with me?” Lance flashed a sparkling, toothy grin.

Shiro slapped a palm to his forehead with an audible groan. Narrow-eyed and scowling, Keith looked equally as displeased.

“Sure, Lance. I could eat.” Keith intentionally ignored the joke. It was his favorite passive-aggressive way of telling Lance he wasn’t funny. 

“Wait, wait, wait. Let me try again.” Lance giggled and held onto Keith’s hand as he tried to pull away. “Keith,” he turned serious again. “I wanna propose… that we go out for burgers!” 

Allura snorted then buried her face in Shiro’s side to hide her laughter. Shiro wrapped an arm around her as they continued to watch the cringe-worthy scene before them unfold.

“What do you say, Keith? Think you can _commit_ to that?” Lance barely got through the sentence without erupting into laughter.

Keith muted a sigh, realizing this was going to be his life until Lance actually proposed.  
He looked to Shiro for help.

“What have I signed up for?” He asked his friend wearily. 

Shiro just shrugged weakly while Allura and Lance could not contain themselves.

“Are you done? I’d like to actually go eat.” Keith yanked his hand back.

Before he could saunter off, Lance got to his feet and tackled him into a bear-hug. “Hey, come here. You know I love you, right?” His could not contain his giddiness. “And I’m gonna give you the best damn proposal one day, just like you deserve.” Lance smiled lovingly as he thumbed the ring box in his jacket pocket. “I just need a little time to set it up.”

“It better be good after whatever the hell that was.” Keith was terse but the corners of his mouth turned upwards. He couldn't stay mad.

“Oh, it’s gonna be so good, you might even forget to say yes!”

“What?” Keith blinked at the awful comeback. “That doesn’t even- Oh my god, I’m marrying a dumbass...” He complained to Shiro, the one other person there who might have sympathy.

“You know who I am.” Lance snapped his finger sassily.

“You’re not helping your argument!” Keith’s mouth failed to form words after that. His fingers curled at nothing in the air until Shiro stepped in.

“Come on, Keith.” He patted him on the back. “First rule of being a good husband: sometimes you gotta let them win. Now let’s go get you that burger.” Keith huffed with annoyance and trekked off with Shiro towards their cars.

“What on earth was that?” Allura whispered to Lance as they hung back.

“I gotta throw him off if he’s not going to see it coming. Plus, it’s hilarious. Did you see how cute he looked?” Lance touched his cheeks, bursting to let out a squeal.

“What are you two whispering about?” Keith turned around and demanded.

“Your birthday present,” Lance answered quickly. “Or maybe your Christmas present. I haven’t decided yet,” he grinned. 

“Nothing public, okay?” Keith eyed him suspiciously but shut up after that. He turned back to Shiro and kept walking.

“Alright, Allura. You gotta help me plan this,” Lance whispered excitedly to her. 

“It would be my honor!” She linked arms with him and they followed after Shiro and Keith.

 

 

 

“I can’t tell who’s with who in this group,” said the owner of a playful pair of eyes that had been watching them for some time.

“Maybe they’re all together,” a gruff female voice joked.

“Wait, which one is he again?” The first voice asked.

“Our target is in blue and he’s with the dark-haired one. Now stop jamming the comms,” an all-business, no-nonsense female voice reprimanded.

“Yikes… Who wants to be the one to tell Lotor he just bought a ring?”

“They’re on their way out. Get into position,” the no-nonsense member of the team cut the chatter short.

 

Far away, in a dark room, a pair of calculating eyes watched a group of four friends make their way into a parking structure on an array of monitors. Scarcely breathing, the man fervently waiting to hear from his feet on the ground.

“Sir, I have a visual on the vehicle. Target is approaching.”

“Well done, Acxa.” The long-haired man zoomed in on one particular member of the group as a smile twisted on his lips. His long wait was nearly over.

The cameras shifted to a series of new angles as the party split off to their respective cars. 

“Parties have separated, but sir, he’s not alone.”

“I trust it’s not an obstacle we cannot overcome? Proceed as planned.”

A chorus of ‘yes, sir’s followed.

“I’ll have you yet, my Garrison boy,” he mouthed quietly enough for his radio receiver to not pick it up. “Ezor, man your post. Narti, assume backup in case the other two give us trouble. Zethrid, on Axca’s command, eliminate his companion.” The trusted leader’s voice gave the instructions. 

“Roger.”

“Roger that.”

“Target will be apprehended in T minus sixty seconds,” came his first-in-command’s voice.

Watching the monitors like a hawk, Lotor’s lip twitched as the happy couple walking hand-in-hand came into frame. He gripped a tight fist as his usually unassailable confidence was wracked with sudden doubt.

“Twenty seconds.”

“Hold your positions!” Lotor cried with uncharacteristic urgency.

“Sir?”

A pensive breath, the suspicion he only had one chance to get this right, long-harbored desires hanging in the balance, and a snap decision at the zeroth hour...

“Five seconds.”

“Axca…” He grit his teeth. It was too risky. “Abort.” 

Four sets of confused breath huffed into his telecom.

The first in command crouched in the shadows, watching her target come into range. 

“Lotor, he’s right there. I can do this!”

“Abort the mission,” he said firmly. “It isn’t going to work.” Lotor pinched the bridge of his nose and sank back in his swivel chair. “Not if we force him.” 

He ran a hand through his hair, displeased that he hadn’t realized it sooner. The silky strands slipped through his fingers as easily as his illusive Garrison boy. Correcting his posture, he closed his eyes and took a moment to collect himself.

“My generals, it seems my impatience has led us astray. We cannot approach this as my father would - all brute force and no tact. No…” His gloved finger tapped against the chair’s leather armrest, a plan taking shape in his head. “He has to come to me on his own.” He narrowed his eyes at the two figures climbing into a car on the screen. “And it seems there are bonds that must be broken first.”

“Are we seriously scrapping the whole plan?”

A wicked smile twitched over his lips.

“No, Ezor. We are merely adjusting it.” He smiled confidently. “I think we can play this _obstacle_ to our advantage.”

“Ugh, I was looking forward to a fast strike!”

“Patience, Zethrid. You’ll get your chance to strike yet. But we must remember, the best laid traps appear as welcoming, open doors. And when trust in his friends is shattered…” His lip curled upwards. “Our Garrison boy is going to walk right through mine.”

A self-satisfied laugh echoed in the surveillance room as the swivel chair completed a full three-sixty. 

“Get back to headquarters, girls. We have a whole new mission to plan.”

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you thought that chapter title was just about Lance... *smirk* 
> 
> But look! Lance bought the ring! They're engaged! (kind of...) I gave you everything you wanted... right? ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ 
> 
> *slams bunker door shut and braces for comments*
> 
>  
> 
> I'll admit that a lot of this story was setup for the next one, but Keith and Lance's relationship really grew a lot!! More than I expected it to when I first outlined it, and I'm pretty proud of most of this work! :3
> 
>  
> 
> But trouble is on the horizon... Here's where we'll be at going into the next story:
> 
> Keith and Lance: Very much in love (and engaged! Kind of...)
> 
> Keith and Shiro: Flirty
> 
> Lotor: On a mission and lurking *eyes*
> 
>    
> Art!!  
> [ The Ring ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/169045848279/casuallysucksyourass-fanart-for-enjayas) Fanart from casuallysucksyourass. Lance may not have given it to Keith (yet) but this is beautiful!
> 
>  
> 
> And just throwing this out there, if anyone ever wants to rip my writing apart and (constructively) tell me where I can improve and what not, I am all ears!!

**Author's Note:**

> I ought to commission some things for this.  
>  **Chapter 3**  
> [I love you, you dumb fuck!](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/166204792604/sihaya-art-a-little-doodle-from-chapter-3-of) Oh, Keith... First piece of art for this story!!! Sihaya-art on Tumblr gave this to me at a con and IT'S MY FAVORITE LINE IN THIS FIC AHHHH!!!
> 
>  **Chapter 6**  
>  Some spicy [Lance in the middle](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/167238683744/kraftypants-some-super-spicy-shklance-for) by Kraftypants  
> [Lance is gone ;)](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/167611913559/sihaya-art-a-scene-from-enjayass-fic-please) From sihaya-art. THANK YOU <3 <3  
>    
>  **Chapter 9**  
> [The Spam Man](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/169023457789/lotor-the-spam-man-fanart-from) crack fanart from casuallysucksyourass on Tumblr. I can't stop laughing.
> 
>  **Chapter 10**  
> [Make Me Yours](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/170258335499/pastelcolorsxx-make-me-yours-a-spicy) Fanart from pastelcolorsxx. So spicy <3
> 
> [ Dom Allura ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/170948414609/gravitydoll-just-a-quick-sketch-inspired-by)Fanart by Gravitydoll. She was only mentioned in passing, but wow, I might have to write a Dom Allura one-shot...
> 
>  **Chapter 11**  
> [As Many Times as it Takes ;) ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/170892351849/sihaya-art-this-is-my-masterpiece-depicting-the)By Sihaya
> 
>  **Chapter 12**  
> [ The Ring ](https://enjayas.tumblr.com/post/169045848279/casuallysucksyourass-fanart-for-enjayas) Fanart from casuallysucksyourass. Lance may not have given it to Keith (yet) but this is beautiful!
> 
>  
> 
> As always, yell at me in the comments or here:  
> Twitter: @enjayas_writes  
> Tumblr: @enjayas

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Please Take a Shower Responsibly](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14290911) by [LostInTranslation (theonemaye)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theonemaye/pseuds/LostInTranslation)




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